


Always a Sin

by CrimsonNi



Category: Naruto
Genre: Anbu Uchiha Sasuke, Bottom Uzumaki Naruto, Churches & Cathedrals, Demons, Jutsu, Kage Bunshin no Jutsu | Shadow Clone Technique, Kage Bunshin | Shadow Clones, Kurama - Freeform, Lots of dialogue, M/M, Multiple Personalities, NaruSasu - Freeform, Ninja, OOC, Orochimaru & Naruto, Out of Character, POV Third Person Omniscient, Plot, Plot Twists, Porn With Plot, Priests, Prostitution, Prostitution Ring, SasuNaru - Freeform, Seme Uchiha Sasuke, Shameless Smut, Smart Uzumaki Naruto, Smut, Twenty Years Later, kyuubi - Freeform, sexy orochimaru
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-29
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-02-15 06:57:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 88,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2219823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrimsonNi/pseuds/CrimsonNi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On Oct. 10th, Konoha was attacked but a vessel was born. Yet that vessel disappeared, leaving no trace behind and a village to question how. Now 20 years later, a mysterious person has changed the circumstances, forcing everyone to have realizations... NaruSasuNaru, some OOCness and other couples.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hot and Dangerous

**Author's Note:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> So…I've been thinking about priests for some reason [lmao] and of course, my mind travelled to some dark, dark place xD. Such will be explained later on! Anyway, my iTunes is on shuffle and the first song I get is Butch Walker- Coming Home; IF you haven't heard this delicious song, for the love of squeezable plushies, go and listen to it! Alrighty, I hope you aren't offended by my material, please enjoy. Rated M because my actual name is Marlene so that means this shit is bad for the kiddies.
> 
> No such characters in the Naruto universe belong to me.
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

The sun, normally a kind friend to the Leaf ninja, gave no mercy as it massaged sweltering heat down the spines of all four ninja trying to trudge their way down the path. One of the travelers, a young boy with unkempt brown hair, now dampened to a near-black shade, panted in heavy breaths for every foot he placed in front of the other. Should this heat feel so violating? Konoha had never experienced such an intense heat wave before. Without realizing it, the boy slightly bumped into one of his teammates, another brown-haired adolescent, Udon. A long string of snot trailed down from his nose, barely touching the corner of his mouth.

"Argh, clean your face, Udon."

"Eh? What's wrong, Konohamaru?"

The heat made him irritable. He was a jokester, a playful, tolerable kid who accepted many regardless of their flaws. But today, right at this moment, no, he wasn't feeling it. "Your face is covered in shit," Konohamaru growled.

Udon could hear the grittiness in his teammate's voice and thought it best to just remain quiet. They had walked a long way with barely any food or time to sleep. Ebisu-Sensei, their team leader, said that it was better to get back home sooner than later so the team had no choice but to use their remaining energy to travel. Now, they were stuck under the sun's glares, hoping that any merciful being could lend them a hand and grace them with shade and perhaps, if they weren't being too greedy in asking, some food and water. Konohamaru was too focused on the sweat racing down the curves of his back to see that Udon stopped in front of him.

"What the hell?!"

"Look at that," Udon said as he pointed ahead. "Doesn't that look like a tea house?"

Moegi, the female of the team, gasped and clapped in glee. "Yes it does! Sensei, let's go!"

In any other circumstance, their sensei would have been beyond ready to decline; a rule of being a ninja is that not everything appears as it seems, but he too was dazed from the heat. He barely managed a nod when his three students cheered and ran with new found energy towards the tea house. As much as he would have enjoyed taking his time, Ebisu couldn't help but also run towards that tea house in the hopes that there was something there that could hold them over until they reached the village.

Konohamaru didn't hesitate in throwing himself through the opening of the tea house, but what he discovered soured his mood immediately. The tea house was completely empty. Not a soul in sight to be seen or heard, only empty chairs and benches. When Udon and Moegi joined him, they too allowed their features to fall in disappointment. Slowly, they stepped within the territory, listening to every creak the wood beneath their feet made, quietly observing for any moment that didn't match their shadows. After the coast had felt clear, both Udon and Konohamaru looked behind the bar to find any tea, water, or food. By some miracle, there was plenty of tea leaves.

With the help of Ebisu, Moegi made enough tea to go around and the four sat in a tranquil silence. "Neh Sensei, can't we rest here for the night? I can't go back out there, I'll die."

Again, if this were any other circumstance, Ebisu would have lectured Konohamaru for even thinking of suggesting that they rest so out in the open, where any and all enemies can easily ambushed them. But, there was no need to chastise him; Konohamaru was right, the heat was going to kill him and the rest of them if they went back outside to travel. With reluctance, he agreed that this was the safest choice between the two. Luckily, they were all prepared due to their extended mission in Iwagakure. It wasn't anything fancy and if anything, the three young shinobi were bored out of their mind with the constant 'smart' talk that surrounded them. Regardless, they were going to be paid a healthy B-rank mission type of check. When the evening finally revealed through the window of the tea house, the four ninja grabbed their gear and spread their sleeping bag throughout the floor. Konohamaru couldn't wait to finally shut his eyes and fall victim to slumber; this experience would remind him that it would be the very last time he would simply agree when Ebisu-Sensei suggested something, especially if it required lack of sleep.

The tea house was peacefully quiet, as it was before it became occupied. Moegi slept with her hair no longer tied up in that odd fashion that Konohamaru couldn't help but find…interesting at times—depending on the angle. Udon, with snot still running down his face, was quietly snoring away with his hands cuddled underneath his chest, as if he were protecting himself. Ebisu slept like any experienced ninja would—laying strictly on his back facing up with his sunglasses on, barely moving his chest as if he were playing dead. Konohamaru made note of all of these peculiar yet amusing characteristics of his fellow comrades and sensei. However, why wasn't he asleep like he wanted be? ' _I heard something._ ' Konohamaru thought.

Quietly, Konohamaru tip-toed his way out of the occupied room and scanned his immediate surroundings for any trouble. A heavenly breeze gently passed by, provoking the trees to make a noisy commotion but soon enough, it settled down until silence followed once again. He stood there for several minutes, waiting for the faintest of noises to give way, but none came. Perhaps he was just being paranoid? Honestly, they were surrounded by trees and other naturalistic effects, what did he expect? With a content sigh, Konohamaru went to tip-toe back into his bed but upon turning around, he met with resistance. Before he could even shout or get a good look at the enemy, something warm clamped over his mouth and eyes. A cold dreadful feeling crawled up his spine; dear god, was this assailant going to kill his team?! A scream desperately wanted to rip its way through his throat, he had to struggle and fight back!

"Ssh, ssh, calm down," a deep voice said. The stranger slowly peeled whatever item he had drapped over his eyes off until Konohamaru could see again. The night camouflaged the stranger's height and exact looks, but Konohamaru could tell he was a blonde, taller than him at least, and dark-skinned. "You'll wake dead with how loud you were about to scream."

The stranger removed the item from Konohamaru's mouth to let him speak. "Who are you and what do you want?" he hissed.

"I could ask you the same. What're you doing in my tea house?"

There was no need to ask if it belonged to him if the guy already proclaimed it was. Konohamaru was many things, but he wasn't disrespectful. "We didn't mean to use it as a sleeping quarter; it was really hot, we needed shelter, and we were expecting the tea house to be occupied."

Konohamaru didn't have to see to know that the stranger narrowed his eyes. Did he say something wrong? The stranger sighed heavily before leaning a tad bit closer than what could be considered comfortable. "I see, so you were referred. An old man, 2 guys, and a chick? Well don't I have my work cut out for me?"

"What're you—" Konohamaru was suddenly caught off by the feel of a large hand cupping his…p-p-privates! The hand strongly massaged the front of his pants as if it were the most natural thing it could touch. Never, never ever in his wildest dreams, did Konohamaru think pleasure could be induced so strongly, quickly, and forcibly. "H-How dare—What do you  _think_  you're doing?!" He couldn't find it in him to scream he trembled so much. His voice just sounded squeaky and breathless.

The stranger placed his lips next to Konohamaru's ear, whispering the most casual terms in the most sensual of ways. "What do I think I'm doing?" He repeated. The stranger grabbed Konohamaru's chin to tilt it up and grasp a clearer view of it. "Considering how fresh you look, do you really want to know what I think?" A tremor passed through the stranger's body, transferring it on to Konohamaru. "I'm thinking how virgins are my favorite thing to taste. How fun it's going to be watching you fall apart." He started rutting against Konohamaru's thigh, uncaring of how he looked while doing it. "Maybe that friend of yours can lick your pink little hole for me while the girl blows you. The old man can watch," he said with a chuckle.

The thought of his teammates, his friends, engaging in such scandalous acts both enthralled and appalled him—just the thought of Udon's snot almost eradicated the heated member straining between his thighs….

H-Heated…member? As in an erection?! Why the hell does he have one with this freak dry humping him out in the public?! "S-Stop, oh my god, stop!" His voice waivered, making him embarrassed to believe that he sounded as if he were pleading.

The stranger did surprisingly slow down, but he didn't stop as asked. Instead, he swayed his hands all over Konohamaru's arms, back, and chest, creating this mist of warmth that made that heated member now throb for attention. "If they referred you to me, I promise, you won't leave here until every inch of you has been fucked and satisfied."

The most effeminate gasp escaped through him before the stranger crashed his own plump lips against his. Konohamaru wasn't experienced in this field of growing up, at least not yet. Yet, his lips moved so naturally against his and it didn't intimidate him at all to throw in some tongue swipes to taste that foreign taste that came with this accursed being. The stranger slithered a hand down Konohamaru's chest, quickly reaching the line of his pants. Should he throw this guy off and scream bloody murder? Should he try and grab one of his kunai knives and stab this perverted jerk in the eye? All the signs said that he should, but his dick was at a boiling point and something that this guy said kept pulling at his mind. What did he mean by referral? Well, none of that mattered when that big warm  _fucking_  hand wrapped around his dick and stroked it like it was his own and he was desperate for release. Konohamaru's eyes rolled in the back of his head at the intensity of it. He gasped and huffed, trying to memorize the delicious tickling that rolled around all throughout his body. So this was adulthood, huh?

"Want to come?" the stranger asked, his voice strained from feeling heated himself.

Being that he never found himself in such a predicament before, he wasn't sure how to answer. Do men that engage in same-sexual activities react the same as men that engage in hetero-sexual activities? Is suppose to d-d-d-dirty talk?! How?! Oh god, now that he realized this, he hadn't the faintest idea what the hell he's suppose to do!

A hard squeeze caught his attention again. "Oi, it takes two seconds to answer. I need to know," he whispered as he descended himself onto his knees. He now held Konohamaru's red member openly in the air, displaying it for all, if any, to see. "So I can know when to aim." Despite the stranger's height, he lowered his face until his mouth was slightly beneath Konohamaru's member. A ferocious blush crept upon his features. Did this man have no shame?! And to have the nerve to wink while he's at it! The display alone was enough to send him over the edge and spray directly into the stranger's hot awaiting mouth. Tremor upon tremor coursed through Konohamaru, rendering him a gasping, moaning fool. Lord only knows how long he was in that euphoric state, but when he came down, he saw the sight of something that made him want to return immediately. The stranger swiped the semen that landed on his nose and cheek with his finger and lapped at it with a groan, as if it were the most delicious substance in the world.

He slowly looked up and although Konohamaru could quite make out the color if his eyes, he just knew they weren't common. He felt trapped under that gaze and it made him…want more. But he didn't know this man or even exactly what the hell just happened, but there was something pulling his senses towards him. Before anything could be adjusted, explained, or said, a booming voice pierced through the atmosphere, making him wish he could die right exactly where he stood.

"HALT! Just what is going on?!" Ebisu-Sensei shouted.


	2. The Man Named Tetsu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> First song in the shuffle: Lorde- Buzzcut Season. Dear bananas, this song is awesome and sad and pretty deep, so if you've never gave it listen before, go and do it!
> 
> Anyway, so last chapter, young 16 year old Konohamaru got his rocks off by some stranger and Ebisu ruined the afterglow. So now what happens? And who the heck is this guy?
> 
> No such characters in the Naruto universe belong to me.
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

" _HALT! Just what is going on?!" Ebisu-Sensei shouted._

Mortified didn't even begin to explain how Konohamaru felt with his face all flushed from… _that_  and him looking completely disheveled. Could it be possible that some miracle excuse exists for a situation like this? Probably not, with Konohamaru's luck, probably not. Thank god the stranger had quick enough reflexes to pull up Konohamaru's pants before anyone could see anything.

"I will not ask again," Ebisu-Sensei said, his hand ready with a weapon to strike. "Who are you and what is going on?"

"Sneaky, sneaky, Mister, you snuck in two questions. Who I am isn't of importance, but what's going on is up to you. However much you want to pay is however much is gonna happen."

Ebisu was seething. "How bold of you to imply that you'll make away with our money. Do you think you'll make it out alive against 4 capable shinobi?"

The stranger cracked a smile before replying. "Actually 3, I finished with round one. Besides, I have no clue what you're talking about, weren't  _you_  lot sent here?"

Acknowledging that he finished with round one, Ebisu, as well as Udon and Moegi who were quietly watching nearby, blushed from Konohamaru's appearance. "K-Konohamau-Sama?! What happened?!" He turned a violent glare towards the stranger. "What did you do to him?! D-Did you—?"

The stranger furrowed his brows in agitation and confusion. "Hm, this must be some misunderstanding. Aren't you clients sent here to visit the 'Tea House'?"

"No, we stumbled upon this place by accident! No one informed us it was occupied by some…some rapist! Dear god, how can I face Hokaga-Sama if they found out K-Konohamaru-Sama has been…been…defiled!"

Ebisu-Sensei clutched his chest as if his heart would give out at any moment. If the situation wasn't awkward and strange, Konohamaru would have rolled his eyes at the theatrics. He had already fastened his pants around his waist and made his way towards Ebisu-Sensei. "Sensei, he didn't—I know it's weird but I wasn't…raped. Nothing like that happened."

Ebisu slowly lifted his head to look up at Konohamaru and despite the ill-lighting, he could tell that Konohamaru was indeed fine. So Konohamaru was very surprised to feel the sharp sting across his cheek caused by his Sensei's hand. "You consciously divulge yourself in such actions while the rest of us slept, giving clear opportunity to either him or any enemy to attack and kill all of us. You were careless and selfish and you owe an apology to your team." The reality of the situation and sternness of Ebisu-Sensei's voice almost had Konohamaru on the verge of tears.

"Oi, oi, calm down, old man. The kid didn't have much of an understanding of what happened; I kind rushed the pace and made the kid all disheveled from all the action. It was my fault for thinking you were clients."

Konohamaru snapped his sight on the stranger, not understanding why he would go out of his way to defend him. "So you are a rapist," Ebisu-Sensei growled. He readied his weapon once again and stood guarded as he stared down the stranger. "State your name and business."

"Rapist is a bit harsh, don't you think? Eager is more of a term for me. As for who I am, I am just your friendly neighborhood whore and this," he gestured towards the tea house. "is my kingdom."

All four shinobi stared agape at the stranger, all unsure how to process this man's brutal honesty. Was he crazy or just weird? Nevertheless, Ebisu lunged forward, tackling the stranger down onto his stomach and wrapping his arms behind him. "You are under arrest for violating the Land of Fire's law: prostitution is illegal."

The stranger moved his face sideways to gasp for air after being winded from the attack. "Is that so? Well, you guys are behind the times; all the other nations have it legal and even stamped as a holiday. No wonder you're so grumpy."

"Shut up. Udon, Moegi, hold him down while I send out a message to headquarters to notify them of his arrival." Ebisu hadn't even glanced at Konohamaru as he passed by to go and fetch a scroll. After Ebisu's summon left with the scroll, he ordered for the team to gather their belongings and head out.

The stranger's hands were cuffed behind him and a bag was placed over his head as the travelled down the path once again. The night had quickly shifted into dawn, brightening up the path for the 4 shinobi and guest. It was silent and dreadfully awkward as they walked; Ebisu had the stranger attached to his side, acting as if one wrong step would result in their imminent death, Moegi and Udon had their heads down, unsure of what to think of the situation, and Konohamaru felt awful. He couldn't take it if his team now hated him for what happened back at the tea house. Of course he knew what he did was wrong but he hadn't the intention of letting his selfishness cause his team's…death. Just the thought caused an uncomfortable flip in his stomach. When the sun finally broke through, it revealed that they were less than a mile away from the gates; had they been walking that long? Konohamaru could now feel the slight soreness at the heel of his feet, giving him a nice enough distraction from the horror that he knew would occur as soon as they arrived. It was early afternoon when the team finally arrived at the gates of the Leaf Village. There were four guards in total waiting at the gates; two that were already stationed at the gates and two that seemed to be waiting for them to arrive. Konohamaru recognized the lanky, grey-haired figure (no one else really had hair like that) but the person next to him was wearing an ANBU mask so he couldn't tell.

"Kakashi-san," Ebisu acknowledged. "Have you waited long?"

"Maa, I would have made you wait if this one over here didn't threaten me," he replied with a heavy yawn. The man next to him huffed in annoyance and crossed his arms over his chest. "Is this the guy?"

"Yes, please handle him immediately. He's got a mouth on him. I must see Sarutobi-Sama at once." Ebisu roughly pushed the stranger ahead until he was in front of Kakashi.

Kakashi hadn't received the full story of what had happened but from what he could tell, this stranger caused enough trouble as it was. He sighed heavily as he weighed the situation—why couldn't some Genin or Chunin come and fetch this guy? Sometimes the ANBU were reduced to the oddest of tasks. The second guy, seeing Kakashi reacting so slow, grabbed the stranger's arm and hauled him in the direction of the jailhouse/interrogation building. The Hokage ordered to profile and register this guy in the system if he proved to be fishy, if not, then take the necessary steps afterwards.

Konohamaru watched as the stranger was taken away and he couldn't stop the overwhelming guilt and sadness that stampeded around in his chest. A part of him felt as if he were suppose to do something but he hadn't a single idea as to what, while the other part felt as if he needed to calm down and just let the chips fall where they may. The guy admitted himself he was a prostitute, his actions were illegal regardless of what he had done to Konohamaru, so this arrest was inevitable anyway…right?

"Konohamaru-Sama, come, we must meet with you grandfather at once." First, Konohamaru had to deal with what his dear ones would say to his behavior.

Back with the stranger, he was taken by the guy with soft yet non-gentle hands into some building that smelled of fish—weird. After some minutes of trying to walk up a flight of stairs without face planting, he was instructed to sit in the chair provided for him. It was terribly cold and uncomfortable but who was he to complain? Finally, the bag was removed from his head and although he had to flinch at the bright lights blinding him, he was glad enough to finally be able to see and breathe.

"Thank you, that bad smelled of an un-bathed dog." The stranger slowly relaxed eyes to get a better look at his new buddies. One guy was wearing a mask that covered 3/4ths of face, only revealing the one lazy eye and his hair was an odd color for a young guy to have. The other guy had a white mask with red markings streaked throughout so the stranger couldn't get a solid look of his face but he saw that the guy's skin tone was a sickly pale and his hair was a contrasting dark.

The quiet guy handed the grey-haired guy a scroll for him to read. The room was quiet as he scanned the letters on the page, ending with a huff as he finished. "You're a prostitute?"

"I am," he admitted boldly.

Kakashi stared at the young man taking note of his complete demeanor. The stranger was a tall man, almost taller than him, with sun-kissed skin that was sheathed in sweat, possibly from the travelling over here. He had what appeared to be either scars or birth marks lined across both his cheeks, giving him an appearance of whiskers. His blonde hair was bright, almost blindingly so, but it heightened his skin as well as his eyes, which quite literally, had to be the bluest orbs he could ever imagine seeing in his entire life. Almost resembling another set of blue eyes. This stranger…was strange. Not just in looks, but in how he carried himself as he spoke; there wasn't an ounce of fear as he spoke in this unfamiliar area, surrounded by unfamiliar people.

"That's a shame, you could do so many other things."

The stranger leaned his head on his fisted hand. "Think so? Even though you don't a single thing about me? What's wrong with what I am?"

"Nothing, but to only give focus on such acts, with strangers no less, who don't consider you as highly as you consider yourself; isn't that a bit sad?" The stranger had no retort. Did he hit a nerve? "What's your name?"

The other guy clasped a pen ready to write down the response. "Whatever you want it to be," he joked with a wink. When he received no response and just blank, bemused stares, he pursed his lips. "Tetsu…"

They waited. "Tetsu what?"

"Just Tetsu. Ah, well, to be honest, I've had many,  _many_  names, but the first ever was Tetsu. I was never given that special little ticket that regular kids get when they're born."

"Where are you from?"

"Hell if I know. Apparently I was found in a river soaked in blood and god knows what else. Some old priest found me and raised me under the name of God."

"If you were raised in a church, how did you—"

"End up being a whore?" Tetsu provided a smile that quite obviously didn't reach his eyes. "I learned at a young age that it is unwise to mingle with a crowd you'll never belong to. If you're going to linger, linger with your own kind."

"And who's your kind?"

"I'm going to have to decline in answering that, not that I don't trust you, Mr. Handsome, but a gal like me can't go around spilling all of her secrets."

"Pfft." The small, barely concealed sound came from the quiet guy. Tetsu felt quite accomplished in making him make any kind of noise. Even Kakashi seemed surprised at the response.

"Yes, well, the report mentioned that you assumed the shinobi were 'clients' sent from somewhere. Are you working under someone?"

Tetsu curled in lip in disgust. "Please, I have  _some_  standards. Kabuto is a freak that I had the unfortunate experience of sleeping with. After that awful time, he started sending people to find me for sex. I don't know if that's his way of keeping tabs but I've travelled from east jabib and back to get away from him yet he still finds me."

"Hm, this Kabuto sounds dangerous; where can we find him?"

"Not really sure. He was a bit of a nomad like myself when I first met him."

"I see…"

"But if it helps, the guy was really into medicine and healing."

"Healing?"

"Yeah, he had all sorts of notes about regeneration and modern medicine. That's why—" Tetsu suddenly cut himself off. His eyes were slightly wide, his gaze no longer on the two men.

"That's why?" Kakashi pressed.

"It's nothing, nevermind. Anyway, what does any of this have to do with the charges?"

The change of subject hadn't gone unnoticed by either men, but making a fuss about it now would only raise Tetsu's defenses. It was best to take it a little at a time and wait for the best results. Kakashi looked at the scroll again before speaking up. "The issue is that you forcibly engaged yourself in sexual acts with a minor."

"That's an interesting term you use there, Mr. Handsome. I've been reading a lot in the newspaper, you know, and all of these modern doctors argue time and time again that 'minors' are impulsive due to their underdeveloped brains. Yet, your Hokage sends out these half-brained kiddies to go fetch and kill but they're still incapable of having consensual sex?"

"Your points would be valid, except these are all just theories based off of conducted experiments. Until stated otherwise, you still broke a very serious law."

"Did the kid  _say_  I do anything against his will?"

"We will question him but it is still hard to argue against ' _his pants pulled down around his ankles_ '."

"It could be possible that the kid jacked off in front of me."

"….Really?"

"Hey, a picture's worth a thousand words, right? So is a quick assumption. The only way Mr. Suspicious can write such a detailed report is if he saw more than he's letting on."

"What makes you say that?"

"Ah, I have a good sense of smell. That and I heard the fucker jacking off behind the entrance. Got to admit though, he's a hell of an actor the way he pulled it off."

Kakashi narrowed his eye in suspicion. "How do we know you aren't just making any of this up?"

"The kid has a small mole right next to his dick." The two men that sat across from Tetsu said nothing and wondered if that random fact was suppose to explain everything. Tetsu sighed in agitation. "If you word the question nicely, I'll bet you my life that that old man somehow knows that little fact too."


	3. All Forgiven, Not Forgotten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> First song in the shuffle: Anthony Green ft. Nate Ruess- Only Love. Holy roadrunner, if you've never heard the song before, please give it a listen and absorb the last line of the song because truthfully, if I were breaking up with someone and said such a line, it'd be the most painful thing they'd ever hear and that's without cursing or bringing up the fact that they NEVER put the toilet seat down….anyway.
> 
> So we've met Tetsu, an interesting person that throws everyone for a loop but what's this about Ebisu? What will Kakashi do? And what secrets could Tetsu be hiding?
> 
> Also, I should have mentioned last chapter or something; Konohamaru is 16 and Tetsu is around 20-21, so all of his peers would be around that same age as well. Basically, just add about four years to everyone from the series. That's all =]
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

" _If you word the question nicely, I'll bet you my life that that old man somehow knows that little fact too."_

Konohamaru obediently followed behind Ebisu towards his home where his grandfather spent some of his time tending to the garden, the animals, and his own personal affairs. He remembered how, when he was younger, he used to barge into his grandfather's office, ready to attack him with all his might, only to fail and turn tail. Everyone inevitably thought Konohamaru to be obnoxious and childish yet his grandfather never said a word, never scolded him seriously enough to mean it, and never forbade him from doing it again. No matter how busy he was as a Hokage, especially one that had to be temporarily reinstated due to the Fourth's death, he always found time for Konohamaru and his troubles. Would he be disappointed this time? Would he feel disgraced that his grandson naively threw himself in such a web? The fear rattled him senseless but he couldn't cry; if he had lost his dignity in every other manner, then at least he could say that he held himself together.

"Konohamaru-Sama, we're here," Ebisu said. Instead of entering through the main entrance of the house, they walked towards the side where two big white doors resided, his grandfather's room. Ebisu knocked twice, two soft-sounding knocks.

"Come in!" A voice responded.

Ebisu opened the doors and stepped aside to allow Konohamaru to walk in front of him and bowed respectfully once they fully entered the room. "Saidame-Sama, you are looking well."

The Third Hokage, in a casual white shirt and black pants, was sitting on a large white couch with papers stacked on the little mess table next to him and oddly enough, a little kitten curled on his lap. With one wrinkled hand, he would softly pet the kitten, lulling it to sleep, while the other hand scribbled sloppily on the documents he was reading. When he saw his grandson, an adoring smile almost broke through (he had to admit, he was a bit too doting) but he kept it in place when he saw Ebisu trail behind.

"Thank you, I'm feeling well too. To what do I owe this visit?"

"I believe you got the message I sent before our return?"

The Saidame had to ponder for a moment, as if thinking. Perhaps it was a bit…silly, but he would amuse himself in using his fragile age as in excuse to avoid certain conversations or pretend he completely forgot something. However, he couldn't ignore this visit even if he etched it in stone and made it law. With a draining sigh, he reached over to the mess table and grabbed a little scroll with Ebisu's hand writing. "Yes, in fact I did. I'd like to speak with Konohamaru alone, if you please."

With sunglasses, Ebisu had advantage in hiding many of his expressions, but his surprise in being kicked out wasn't one to be well hidden this time. "S-Saidame-Sama, with a due respect, as his teacher, I feel it best to—"

The Third Hokage removed his reading glasses, throwing a fierce glance at Ebisu. "Ebisu-san, I'm sure you've already pointed out the error of his ways and disciplined him as such. For that, I thank you, but now,  **I**  wish to speak with him. Alone."

Ebisu couldn't argue any longer, not unless he wanted to be in some serious trouble, so he bowed again and made his exit quickly, to hide the embarrassment of having been reprimanded like some child in front of his own student. Throughout the scene, Konohamaru stood awkwardly, unsure of where to look or what to say and now that he was alone, he really felt uncertain. Sweat started to bead at the crown of his hair and forehead, he started to feel warm, hot even, and worse, he felt his grandfather's gaze set directly at him. A stiff aura hung in the room as the silence stretched on. Was he supposed to say something? What was he suppose to say?!

"Gra—"

"Konohamaru, come and sit," he said, patting the spot next to him on the couch.

He was reluctant, only since he had no idea what to expect, but he made his way towards the couch and sat next to his grandfather. Silence reigned control of the room again but now that he sat down next to his grandfather, it felt even more suffocating. "Grandpa," he whispered.

"Well it's about time!" he laughed.

"What?"

"I was just poking some fun, waiting to see when you'd pop. You were standing there like you're sitting here now, like you're waiting for me to execute you. I'm an old man, Konohamaru, I know better than to snap before hearing the other side of the story."

Suddenly, the air felt light and the crippling weight that was weighing on his shoulders just disappeared. How stupid he felt to think his grandfather would just be unreasonable! He turned to look at the elder man and the tears immediately wanted to spill; the older man cleared himself of the documents he was reading before and took the kitten within both hands to give light kisses in its face. The scene was just like his grandfather, in fact, it was the very definition of him. Because despite the wrinkles and older frame, he could see the defining muscles flexing as he pulled the kitten back and forth from his face, he could see the scars from the numerous battles he's survived, yet he could also see the little blush that adorned his cheeks as he cooed the kitten, the childish persona that always came from him even in the most serious of times, the face of a man who loved his family more than anything else in the world. How could Konohamaru have been so terrified to believe this man would be ashamed of him and disown him?

"Grandpa, I messed up. I-I don't even know how it happened so fast but one minute, I'm scared because I think this guy is going to kill me and the others, and the next, I'm…not thinking of any of that. I got so lost in the moment that we all could've been in danger."

"Hm, I found this little baby cat under the bushes, covered in dirt. Want to know what her name is? Her name's Sayaka."

"…Okay?" Konohamaru uttered uncertainly. "Um…Grandpa—"

"Sayaka was also the name of the very first woman I ever fell in love with. Sayaka Yume. She was a quiet girl but boy was she mean! Everyone was a nuisance to her and no matter how many times everyone tried to befriend her, she'd just brushed us all off. Eventually, everyone thought her to be a lost cause but there was something about her that just caught my eye. It was found out later why she acted the way that she did; she had a genetic disease that would take her life away before she could even reach the prime of her shinobi years. At the time, I was told by my father that I needed to court some important young woman to get on some political good graces. Do you know what I did instead?"

Enraptured by the story, Konohamaru almost missed the question. "N-No, what did you do?"

"I disobeyed my father and went to find Sayaka and begged her to let me take her out for one night. By some miracle, she agreed and I spent that evening laughing, joking, doing things I always wished I could have done before but couldn't. I abandoned that poor young woman somewhere and embarrassed my father. I acted selfishly, even though I knew there could be dire consequences to them.

This is not to say that it was  _okay_ , but I understand. In our culture, these things happen frequently, usually with worse endings. If anything had happened, speaking as a former Hokage, as a former team sensei, and as a former shinobi, the fault would have fallen on Ebisu. As your sensei, he's entrusted with your lives and to teach you where you all fall short. For him to have no plan of protection as you all slept and have you discover and face the 'enemy' first speaks of his incompetency. But that's a separate issue I will speak to him about later on. As for you, the best advice to give is  _learn_. Don't take this experience for granted; use it so that if there is a next time, you'll give it 110 and come out stronger than what you were before. And while you're at it, learn to not allow the label of shinobi to discourage you from being young. It's alright to be stupid at times."

A bright smile decorated Konohamaru's face as he felt comforted. It was amazing to learn about his grandfather's rebellious phase but it was also amazing to learn that he grew from those experiences as he will from his. "Thank you, Grandpa."

"Anytime, kiddo. Now, take Sayaka to her litter box, I'm too old to waltz around doing such tasks."

Konohamaru sweat dropped. "Old man, why do you keep picking up pets if ya can't take care of them!"

The Saidame stared at Sayaka and held her up to eye level. "Can you believe this, Sayaka? No respect, can't even help his grandfather out. Kids these days."

Konohamaru 'tsked' as he took the black-and-white kitten from his grandfather's hands and placed her in the litter box. Sayaka meowed happily as she went about her business and the cute scene was enough to convince Konohamaru to even refill her water bowl without being told, which of course, amused his grandfather to no end.

"By the way Konohamaru, I've been meaning to ask…"

"Hm?" He answered as he over-watched Sayaka while she drank her water.

"How attractive is this young man that bedded you?"

Konohamaru whirled around with wide eyes, an open (but speechless) mouth, and every ounce of blood he had in his body coloring his face in a blush. "Bed?! G-Grandpa! He DIDN'T bed me!"

"I'm just wondering who could this young man be to seduce my grandson so quickly. I mean, you've always been interested in Moegi so he must be talented."

"Oh my God, Grandpa! Stop, we're  _not_  having this conversation, you perverted old man!"

A hearty laugh was how the elder man took to Konohamaru's insults. It was of no matter, the Saidame wanted to see for himself who was such a bold creature to touch his grandson…

*~NUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNU~*

"And why should we use resources to follow such a vague note of information?"

"What resources? All you need is common sense and good vocabulary. Look, that kid gets fiddled by that closet pervert, that's on you, all I want is to get out of here."

"Well isn't that great timing? We'll just go and put you in a cell while we go and continue the investigation."

"That's not what I meant," Tetsu grumbled.

Kakashi grabbed all of the paperwork from the other man's hands while the other man advanced towards Tetsu and lifted him up from the seat. He wrapped a set of cuffs around his wrists and led him out the door to follow behind Kakashi. Though the walk down the hall was short, it was enough for Tetsu to feel the undeniable strength of the man that held his arm. The tight clutch burned some kind of urge within Tetsu, something he couldn't help but desire. Of course, he kept these thoughts quiet but as he was being led to a cell, it was getting harder to do so.  _How funny would it be if I got a boner now?_

Once placed inside the cell, which had a dingy toilet, some lumpy looking fabric that under skeptical terms could be called a mattress, and a bench, Tetsu was uncuffed. "We'll return after we question Konohamaru about the incident and we'll give the information for the Hokage to decide what to do with you. Until then, make sure you behave."

"Sure, just send some food or something while you're at it. I'm starving."

Kakashi just stared before he started shaking his head. Both he and the masked man walked away from the cell which gave Tetsu a clear opportunity to get a view of their asses.  _There is a God…_

*~NUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNU~*

"That was different," Kakashi said.

"Hn."

"What do you think?"

The masked man finally took off his mask, revealing a stoic pale face with two manic red orbs embroidered with three clefts in each eye. "He's dangerous. He's definitely hiding something."


	4. Enrich Your Skills With Speed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> Sorry about taking so long—I'm graduating this May so this month and the beginning of next month is gonna be crazy busy! Thanks for the patience.
> 
> First song in the shuffle: Fun.- We Own the Night. Oh Beetlejuice! If you haven't heard this song before, do so now because it's that awesome. It is a cover of a Lady Antebellum song so if you like them and/or Fun., then I think you'll appreciate this.
> 
> So the Third was introduced (such an adorable gramps) meanwhile Kakashi and the masked guy have their suspicions about Tetsu. So what happens now? Well read and find out and tell me whatcha think!
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

_The masked man finally took off his mask, revealing a stoic pale face with two manic red orbs embroidered with three clefts in each eye. "He's dangerous. He's definitely hiding something."_

Kakashi glanced at the man next to him and noticed the furrowed eyebrows that indicated his frustration. "Could you get a read on him?"

The eyebrows furrowed deeper. "No, I didn't want to make it obvious incase he could detect my trying to enter his mind, but I couldn't even scratch the surface. Anyone going to such great lengths is definitely hiding something."

"Maa," Kakashi said with a groan. He was always too lazy to deal with such drama, but even he had to admit that he was intrigued by this sudden visitor. Although, unlike his teammate Sasuke, he didn't really sense danger, just something completely different; he couldn't put his finger on it, but he was sure it was something.

The two made their way out towards the top floor of the Hokage building with Kakashi knocking softly against the two large wooden doors. If he had it his way, they would have gone through the window, but Sasuke was such a prude that Kakashi really had no choice but 'follow the rules' sometimes. He wanted to voice his opposition to such a dull norm, but with Sasuke's current mood, Kakashi was glad he kept those thoughts to himself.

The doors opened to reveal a petite frame of about 5"4', dressed in a black garb that matched closely in shade with her short hair. With one hand, she cradled a small pot-belly pig that was as much as a political figure as the Hokage herself—their pet, Ton-Ton—and with the other, she held the door open with a huge smile on her face.

"Hey, Kakashi-san, Sasuke-san, what brings you two here?"

"Sup, we need to brief the Hokage about something. You look a little lively today."

"That's because Tsunade-Sama's almost finished with her paper work…without getting drunk! It's a joyous occasion!"

Although Kakashi's mask always made it difficult to decipher what expression he wore, it was clear that at the moment, he was trying not to laugh at Shizune's moment of excitement. Sasuke just wore the same expression—there was nothing, if anything, that ever really made Sasuke laugh. The two were lead inside where they saw their Hokage sitting behind her desk vehemently scribbling away. Her face was contorted in intense focus with sweat beading on her forehead and her breathing coming out in rough pants. Strands of her blond hair were loose from their ties and her hazel-colored eyes were blown wide, not even taking the time to blink.

"Ano…," Kakashi trailed.

"What?!" Tsunade snapped without missing a beat. It made the two shinobi wonder if it better to just let her drink.

Neither Kakashi nor Sasuke knew what to say in such a circumstance so they awkwardly remained silent. Thankfully, Shizune, being the personal assistant of the Hokage, wasn't afraid to step forward and speak.

"Tsunade-Sama, Kakashi-san's here with Sasuke about something."

"Spit it out, already!"

"It's about the letter that Ebisu-san sent in regards to Konohamaru's attack," Kakashi replied.

Tsunade snapped out of her spell and finally looked up to face the two men; her eyes suddenly narrowed with a dangerous glint. "So the sonofabitch raped the kid," she growled venomously.

"Well…we still aren't certain."

"…What the hell do you mean you 'still' aren't certain?"

This time Sasuke spoke up with an answer. "He gave us an answer that is plausible but unless Konohamaru-Sama says otherwise, it will be hard to say."

"Well, have you spoken to the kid?"

"He was instructed to visit his grandfather during our interrogation so we have not had the chance."

"Then why the hell are you here with this half-assed report when you could be questioning the kid?!" Tsunade was beginning to lose her temper; Shizune worried that the stacks of paper would collapse.

"Hokage-Sama, we were hoping  _you_  could interject in this line of questioning." Sasuke approached the desk and delicately placed the folder that he held in his hand in front of her. "The suspect goes by the name of Tetsu, he's admitted to being a prostitute, and he cooperated throughout the whole interrogation, answering most of the questions. However, in regards to the subject at hand, he made an accusation that I feel should be further investigated."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow speculatively but opened up to read the documents anyway. Sasuke, with his highly skilled observational eyes, could easily detect the minute widening of the Hokage's eyes as she read the verbatim dialog held between Tetsu and Kakashi. "You believe the word of a prostitute?"

"I'd like to argue otherwise," Kakashi replied. "But he was pretty convincing. Considering the fact of how delicate this subject is, we thought it best to ask Konohamaru-Sama a few questions to clear the air."

"The both of you do realize that he's a prostitute, correct?" Tsunade shouted. "His very profession is to 'convince' people into listening to him! But he must be one hell of a looker if he managed to have the both of you running around!"

"Hokage-Sama," Sasuke voiced with narrow eyes, clearly offended by the jab at his intelligence. "Please finish reading the entire interrogation. It is not to say that this man isn't guilty of something, but he seemed adamant about this. We just need the story either confirmed or denied by Konohamaru-Sama and how we approach the subject."

Tsunade did seem to calm down and resumed reading all of the notes within the folder. After taking a deep breath, she leaned her head back against the top of her chair. "Sorry, that dictator over there has refused to allow me any type of alcoholic drink. I'll ask the Third if he doesn't mind swinging by with the kid. Meanwhile, I'm a little curious about this Kabuto guy."

"Yes, Tetsu mentioned a short relation to him but stopped abruptly before we could get any further. He said something about regeneration but that seemed to step on some kind of landmine."

"How interesting, and you couldn't get into his mind? Even more interesting. For now, let's focus on what the kid says and if need be, we'll get Ibiki and his interrogation 'abilities' to drag out the missing information."

Sasuke and Kakahi both bowed before Tsunade and spoke in unison: "Yes, Hokage-Sama."

~*NUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNU*~

_1 Hour Earlier_

Tetsu appeared calm to the outside naked eye but internally, he was suffering. He disliked how foreign he felt within these walls and if things progressed as they currently were, it was only going to get a lot worse. He had to think of a way out without getting caught, but that just seemed impossible. Tetsu wasn't stupid, the silver-haired guy practically exuded strength while the other one didn't exude anything at all, which meant he was forcing himself to hide his strength. If they had strong people like that just doing interrogations on prostitutes, there was no telling who else lived in this village.

_Just the force of a finger_

_A push of some strength_

_To pierce their skulls_

_And run for the hills_

No, that wouldn't do. Could he, of course, it wouldn't even break a sweat, but he wouldn't. All it would do is cause an uproar and attention, the kind of attention he doesn't need nor want. There had to be another way…

_Find the boy through earth and air_

_Tell him your lies and lay low_

_Enrich your skills with speed_

_And bless the nature as you go_

Ah, sage mode could definitely work, but the odds were low. Could he risk it? He had nothing else to lose. He approved of this plan which elicited a deep rumble in the depths of his belly. The first task on his escape plan, find the kid. Tetsu took a look around the cell, noticing that no one was close or coming by anytime soon, and placed his hands together while he sat on the floor. He kept his thoughts concentrated on the natural elements surrounding him, on the task he laid before him, on his own breathing, and the flow of that air through his body. It took longer than he liked, but he could suddenly feel this force course through him in a violent pulse. The ground beneath him caressed his bottom as the air around him licked at whatever skin was available. He felt heated, but it was a comfortable heat that delicately travelled throughout his whole being, igniting his very core.

There were whispers throughout the open air, the trees and water speaking in tongues he was lucky enough to understand. He needn't have physically spoken to make his request; nature was a creature that already knew. As if his very soul travelled through the ground and around, he sensed a very familiar energy. He found the kid. Tetsu opened his eyes, and if anyone were lucky enough to have seen, they would have fallen victim to the red-orange slits that burned deeply enough to incite both pleasure and fear. They would have felt the raw animalistic aura that surrounded him, and they wouldn't have cared because of the crippling sense of lust. In a puff of smoke, a replica appeared before him with the same carnivorous expression as him.

"Go find the kid and tell him to lie. I'll get a head start out of here. Try not to get caught."

"Of course."

As if by magic, the clone disappeared, leaving Tetsu alone once again to his own devices. Now onto the next task: escaping.

~*NUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNU*~

The clone-Tetsu travelled swiftly through the crowds of citizens and on top of buildings all without being caught. As he reached closer, the kid's energy felt stronger; he wasn't too far now. However, clone-Tetsu couldn't just approach the kid as he is now, that would be all too suspicious and just entirely stupid. What could be the best disguise? A quick memory flickered in his mind to answer that question. As he neared closer, he gracefully somersaulted, but instead of landing as clone-Tetsu, she landed as clone-Moegi. Tetsu had good memory but he still worried if he had all of the details correct; she was a tad shorter than Konohamaru, she had two oddly positioned pigtails, and her cheeks were a rosy color that highlighted all the strengths of her face. He supposed that was close enough.

She hid behind a building wall, waiting for any sign of Konohamaru. Luckily, she hadn't the need to wait long since he came out walking right next to some old man. This made the plan a little trickier but if she spoke quickly enough and towered down her urgency, this could work smoothly.

"Konohamaru!" she shouted, hoping that her voice was accurate as well.

Konohamaru, as well as his grandfather, turned around at the sound. He saw Moegi waving frantically at him with a bright smile, which created in increase in his heartbeats. "Moegi, what're you doing here?"

"Sorry, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute?"

"Actually, we were called by Tsunade-Sama, so I gotta go."

"Please? I swear, it will only take a minute!" Bad move. Tetsu wasn't sure if this Moegi was an understanding type or a pushy type and regardless, the fact that the kid had some urgent business of his own with the old man (which, if he guessed correctly, must be that important guy that Mr. Suspicious was referring to earlier) made the whole scene seem that much odder.

"Konohamaru, won't you be a gentleman and help her out? We have enough time to spare before we have to meet up in the Hokage's office," the old man said. Thank god!

Konohamaru nodded and jogged his way over to Moegi with some shy smile as if he were a hormonal teenager…wait—"What's up?"

Clone-Moegi glanced over Konohamaru's shoulder and saw the old man facing the other way, patiently waiting for their business to end. Was the old man aware that something was off? "Listen, I'm not Moegi. It's me, kid, the stranger from the tea house."

Clone-Moegi spoke quickly which may have just confused Konohamaru, but luckily, he had understood everything she said. His cheeks suddenly inflamed and his eyes bugged out as if they were going to fall out. "What are you doing here?! How did you even get here?" he hissed.

"That doesn't matter! Listen, they asked me some questions and I obviously lied. I'm guessing they haven't questioned you yet, right?" Konohamaru shook his head. "Good, when they do, tell them whatever build up you want, but when you get to the finale, tell them  _you_  jacked off in front of me—I didn't touch you. Got it?"

If possible, Konohamaru's cheeks burned hotter. "What?! Why the hell would I say that?!"

"Because shit's gonna hit the fan if you don't. Trust me, I know we don't know each other, but you don't want this to go in that direction. Please."

He looked at the stranger's pleading fake eyes (which awkwardly had Moegi's face) and couldn't help but tremble under that look. It was as if he could see the stranger's handsome face hidden behind the face of his teammate. "Ugh, fine. That's so stupid, but fine! Now go before Grampa notices."

"I owe ya, kid. Whatever you want, blowjobs, rim jobs, hand jobs—"

"I get it, GO!" he screamed with a furious shout. Clone-Moegi laughed as she departed from Konohamaru, leaving him to collect himself before he stood beside his grandfather.

"Is everything alright?"

"Y-Yeah, she just needed a favor."

The Third simply nodded and the two continued on their way to the Hokage's office. They had received a message to report to the office immediately, but the message was solely meant for Konohamaru; the Third Hokage just wanted to tag along and understand the situation as best he could. When they arrived, they noticed Kakashi, Sasuke, and Shizune standing close beside Tsunade's desk while Tsunade was sitting down with her chin resting on her crossed fingers.

"Tsunade-chan, you're looking well," the Third said cheerfully.

"Thank you, I'm a bit surprised you came along."

"This does appear to be a serious problem and he is my grandson. I'm just here as support for him."

"Very well, I hold no objection to that, but there are some questions I need to ask that are personal. I need the kid to understand that whether you're in the room or not, he needs to be honest and unafraid. Can you do that?" she asked Konohamaru.

"Yes."

"Good, now tell us what happened, starting from the mission."

Konohamaru told the story as asked, mentioning all of the epic and clumsy moments of the entire mission, the conversations held between all of them, the strategy to get back home, the unwavering heat, the finding of the tea house and how they decided to use it as a sleeping quarters, him hearing an odd noise, him investigating the noise and meeting the stranger (Tetsu), and finally, what happened between the two of them, even though that little bit was a lie.

"I am to understand that you willingly masturbated in front of a stranger?"

Konohamaru wanted to die, especially with so many eyes staring right at him. It should have been the moment where he realized that the stranger was just that—a stranger—and he didn't owe the guy anything, but every time he opened his mouth, he would freeze and shut it closed. Realistically, he didn't want to rat on the stranger even though it didn't make any sense as to why. "Y-Yes. H-He said he was a whore and needed money. I…was curious and wanted to see how far I could go, but I didn't want him touching me, so I just…acted and then Ebisu-Sensei caught us."

"So he didn't force you or touch you?"

"No, Sir, he didn't."

Kakashi and Sasuke seemed perplexed by the whole retelling of the story. Unfortunately, Konohamaru didn't realize how bad of a liar he was, but whether he was lying or not wasn't the issue, it was how the hell did the kid know  _what_  to lie about?! Did Tetsu mention something before they got caught? Kakashi remembered him saying that he had good hearing and sense of smell, so if he knew Ebisu was watching, wouldn't he plan ahead of time? But why would Konohamaru-Sama agree?

Tsunade was thinking along the same lines but there was nothing she could really do unless the kid called it. She shifted her sights at the Third who very minutely nodded to show that he too knew about the situation and of Konohamaru's fibs.

"I see, if that is the case, then we can go forward from here on out, however, I must put in my opinion of the whole situation; it is understandable that in certain circumstances, there is no helping how things pan out, but a shinobi must always consider  _what_  may happen at all times. You actions endangered the health of your teammates as well as your own, not to mention that although this man's actions are considered illegal in these lands, he could have gotten into some serious trouble if it were discovered he engaged in such acts with a minor. Do you understand what I am telling you?"

"Y-Yes, Sir."

"Very well, then for one month, you will be suspended from missions and assist in menial tasks within the academy and along with the Genin. I wish for you to think about your actions; as the future Hokage, one that wishes to follow in his grandfather's footsteps, you must remember where your faults lie and rectify them as best you can before they become your ultimate downfall. Is this understood?"

Konohamaru wanted to curse that darn stranger for this humiliation and he wanted to cry once again, but the stranger said to trust him, so trust him he'll do. "Yes, Sir." That stranger will just have to owe him BIG time.


	5. Oh So Little Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> How are you guys? Doing well? Just wanted to tell you in advance that this might be the last chapter I write before April 30th only because I have a 30-page paper due on that day about the Sexual Revolution(s) so I want to put sole focus on that even though all I've been thinking about is this story! Haha, hope you understand, see you soon!
> 
> So for the first song of the shuffle, it's a fairly new song but I thought the lyrics were so strong and the flow of the song was so good that I'd tell you about it. It's B.O.B ft Priscilla- John Doe. The radio is probably playing it every five minutes anyway, but give it a listen, it's a good song.
> 
> Anyway, so we discover that Tetsu can use shadow-clone jutsu and is devising a plan to escape. Will he succeed or will the plan fall apart? Well, give it a read and tell me what you guys think! =]
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

_Konohamaru wanted to curse that darn stranger for this humiliation and he wanted to cry once again, but the stranger said to trust him, so trust him he'll do. "Yes, Sir." That stranger will just have to owe him BIG time._

**In the outskirts of the village on their way back home:**

"Oh yeah, Tsunade's gonna love me! She's gonna be so happy that I won all of this money!"

"Yes, for her to gamble away…"

"Shut up, so she has her bad days, everyone gets those."

"Bad days, yes, but having a legacy about your bad luck with money? That's a sign."

"See, this is exactly why people want to punch you in the nuts! You're so condescending!"

"It's a wonder why Tsunade stooped so low as to marry you."

"Because I'm a 'packaged' deal," he said with a wink. "Speaking of which, are  _you_  getting laid or do you need me to hook you up?"

"…."

**Back at the Hokage's Office:**

"If you have more time to spare, I would like to speak with you about some other matters," Tsunade directed at the Third.

"I do. Konohamaru, please return home and wait for me."

"Okay, Grandpa." Konohamaru respectfully bowed before Tsunade and turned to leave, closing the door quietly behind him. When all parties sensed that he was out of hearing range, Tsunade jumped straight to business.

"I presume you had no hand in that just now?"

"What do you take me for? I love him dearly, but I would never jeopardize him like that. I don't know why he lied, but since he is doing it, there must be valid reason."

"Do you think it could possibly have anything to do with Ebisu-san?"

"Ebisu? Why mention him?"

Tsunade cleared her throat while the three people up against the side of the wall, Shizune, Kakashi, and Sasuke, glanced down. No one had the heart to say what had to be said next. "Well, you see…" She grabbed the papers that were on her desk and gestured for Shizune to take it and hand it over to the Third. She waited patiently as he read the transcripts, anticipating the look of horror that contorted his features.

"What is this?! Has any of this been validated?!"

"No, but—"

"This is a very serious accusation, Tsunade. May I remind you that I myself selected Ebisu-san as Konohamaru's teacher; the man has his faults, but this…to discover that he may…," the Third trailed off and shook his head, unable to believe what he had just read.

"I agree and I understand your frustration, but Kakashi and Sasuke seem to think that the man we have in custody holds enough merit to be believed. Not to mention, Konohamaru just lied under oath to protect said man. Clearly, there is more to this than what we're learning, but it's unfortunate that we are uncertain as to who we are to believe."

"Who is this young man that is making everyone doubt their own people?"

"Very little is actually known about him; he was an orphan found by a priest and somewhere along the lines became a prostitute. The mysterious thing about him is that our very own ANBU specialist, Sasuke, couldn't even penetrate his psyche."

"If anything, this stranger sounds more questionable than Ebisu-san. I still fail to see why we must doubt Ebisu-san's innocence because of a claim made by a third party member."

Kakashi stepped forward and bowed at the Third Hokage before speaking. "Hokage-Sama, if I may?" Tsunade nodded and gestured for him to continue. "Saidame-Sama, I—we apologize if we've crossed the line in anyway, but when there is any concern or accusation made in regards to harm against the children of this village, our job is to investigate and end it right there. We do not wish to point fingers at Ebisu-san; if he is found innocent, I will personally apologize myself and assure that this matter will never be held against him."

"I do not doubt this about you, Kakashi-san, my worry is that we now hold Ebisu-san in a different light based off of what a  _stranger_ has told you. A stranger that is being held in custody because of a prostitution charge. That doesn't seem a bit…too convenient?" No one replied to the question. "I propose a fairer trade."

"Which is?" Tsunade asked.

"I meet this young man along with Inoichi-san and if I find that he speaks some semblance of truth, then we can disregard the prostitution charge and change focus onto Ebisu-san. Deal?"

Tsunade released a burdensome huff of air through her nose and bit the end of lip as she contemplated the deal. After some short bout of silence, she nodded her head in agreement. "I suppose this is our best option to finding the truth. Kakashi, find Yamanaka-san and tell him we are in need of his assistance. If he can't, then please find his daughter instead, Ino."

"Yes, Hokage-Sama.

"Sasuke, you will escort the old man to the stranger's cell and keep watch."

"Yes, Hokage-Sama."

"Thank you, Tsunade," the Third said as he went to stand up.

"Don't go thanking me, old man. Just don't lose your temper."

That piece of advice raised a laugh out of the Third since he found it ironic that the most temperamental person on the planet just told him not to lose his own temper. Sasuke stood, waiting, by the door to lead the Third back towards the holding cells. Tsunade replayed the whole encounter in her head until a large shiny bottle caught her attention. Shizune didn't say anything, she just nodded and grabbed two glasses from the cabinet; it looked to Tsunade that this whole ordeal was as exhausting for Shizune as it was for her. Although she shouldn't have felt it, Tsunade did feel a bit happy that all of the documents could be forgotten for the moment so they could drown themselves in alcohol.

~*NUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNU*~

Sasuke placed his mask back on as he walked alongside the Third. The Third made no comment, but he did want to make a joke about the mask and Sasuke's face—being the only difference is that the mask has more coloring—but Sasuke was a hard egg to crack so he didn't want to take a chance and upset him. He thought it was a funny joke though. The two neared the holding cells so it wasn't much to walk, but the Third wasn't one to favor silence, despite his old age. He loved conversations and learning what direction the youth were headed in and he loved adapting his mentality to the modern ages. He wondered how he could get Sasuke interested enough to say something, and luckily, an idea came to mind.

"Ah, I forgot to ask earlier, but how are the plans going?"

Sasuke, who seemed to be in a world of his own behind his mask, quirked his head. "I apologize, Sir, but plans in regards to what?"

"Don't be silly, of course I mean with the wedding! How is everything going?"

"Very well, thank you. We'll be married by this time next year if everything goes as planned."

"Good, good to hear. I'm sure your brother is having a grand time helping with the plans."

Sasuke knew that the elder man couldn't see his face with the mask on, but he couldn't help but grimace. At the mention of his older brother, he thought about how the wedding had turned Itachi into some drill sergeant that had to have everything timed and perfect. It was quite obnoxious. "Yes, perhaps he's even more excited than we are."

"Haha! Well at least it gives him something to do."

"That it does," Sasuke muttered, more so to himself than to the Third. The wedding plans kept Itachi busy well enough to have him temporarily forget about his current circumstances.

The Third simply chuckled and followed Sasuke's lead ahead into the building of the holding cells. They had to climb a couple flight of stairs before reaching down the hall towards the cell that held the odd stranger by the name of Tetsu. A fellow shinobi walked down the corridor—Sasuke remembered his name being something along the lines of Ishin, Isan, or something of that nature, and he was normally stationed at the check-in desk where visitors signed in or out when seeing someone in any of the cells. The man approached the two and bowed before the Third.

"Hello, Saidame-Sama, ANBU-san, Yamanaka-san just wanted me to tell you that he's already waiting in the cell."

"Thank you, Ishiki-san," said the Third. Sasuke mentally frowned at being outdone by the Third in remembering names but he'd remember it next time, for sure.

Sasuke signed both of their names in and moved to the side to allow the Third to enter the cell first. Kakashi and Inoichi were standing by the entrance of the cell, both bowing at the Third's appearance. The air suddenly felt tense with four shinobi glaring intensely at one lone man who sat on a chair with both of his arms and legs shackled. Tetsu still had that smug-like expression, one that knew all of the odds were against him but it wasn't enough for him to take seriously. Instead, he stared right back at all of the shinobi, displaying his courage in an unsubtle fashion. The Third was unhindered by the challenge and stepped forward to decrease the space between him and Tetsu. In every step that he took, he used the seconds to absorb every detail he could obtain about Tetsu's appearance. There was so much nostalgia in the young man's eyes and overall features; it was almost frightening to say the least. And as odd as it sounded, the Third couldn't help but note that this young man was indeed  _very_  attractive; there was this exotic air to him that narrowed the boundary line between man and beast. This man was a prostitute? Now the Third understood why Sasuke and Kakashi were a tad thrown off in their assumptions.

A clearing of the throat brought the Third out of his deep thoughts. "S-Saidame-Sama?" Inoichi asked. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I apologize, I was just thinking of something."

Tetsu smiled even though the Third wasn't talking to him. "Oh, don't apologize; if you were thinking what I think I know what you were thinking, then by all means, please continue."

The young man certainly had the looks, but his mouth ruined the prestige image the Third thought of him as. "Do you think you can win personality points by flirting with an old man like me? I'm not that much of a fool, you know."

"Interesting how people correlate unattractiveness with age. Is it really so silly to think of you as attractive even though you're older? Then what would be the point of growing older if you're only meant to experience youth?"

"With age comes experience."

"Is that right? Then by your logic, an old man experiences all that he can and no longer can he accomplish anything new."

"This and That are two separate arguments. All I wish to learn is the truth," the Third said in a cool voice. He pivoted the tone of the conversation into a serious and cold atmosphere that made Tetsu, for some unknown reason to him, feel cornered.

With narrowed eyes and a tense body form, Tetsu leaned back against his chair, rattling his shackles as obnoxiously as he could in the process. "Truth is a pretty subjective term, but I'll do the best I can."

"That won't be necessary; in fact, all we would need you to do is remain still."

"Is that why we have some extra guests here? Why? What are you planning on doing?" Tetsu began curling his lip, his body coiled tighter in defense. He secretly worried if any of these men were planning on attacking him.

"This gentleman here," the Third gestured at Inoichi. "Is going to use a special jutsu that will peak into your psyche."

The panic level rose dangerously high within Tetsu, almost making him want to vomit. He pushed his back hard against the chair even though he had nowhere to go, but he put his guard up regardless. He curled his lip to bare his teeth like a wild animal ready to attack; he didn't like where this was going at all.

"The hell he's going anywhere near me! You have no right!"

"In matter of rights, our constitution allows us to investigate any matters that may lead us to suspect an act of terrorism. Thus, we have the right."

"A terrorist? Oh, what the fuck, now you're just making shit up! ' _This and That are two separate arguments_ ', is that not what you said? We're talking about whether I diddled the kid or not, I said I didn't, what the fuck does that have to do with terrorism?!"

The frown lines on the Third deepened. "I will only ask you this once, watch your language in my presence. If it must be explained, your admittance to being a prostitute is very suspicious; the tea house that you handled your "business" in resides in the border of our nation, on the pathway to our very village. Yet, no shinobi have ever recalled crossing it coming to or from the village. Why is that?"

Tetsu half shrugged. "I recently drifted here about a few weeks ago. I travel a lot, you know, for better business. I still don't see where the terrorism comes in."

"Not finished yet; then it just so happens that, by coincidence, you sexually attack a minor that happens to be the grandson of an important political figure. You mean to tell me that that doesn't sound like the beginning of a terrorist attack?"

Tetsu was about to roar in denial but a small part of his brain caught on to the trick immediately. It didn't matter if he agreed or denied, the old man was going to intelligently manipulate his words in a roundabout way in order to make a plausible case. If everyone was in accordance with the terrorist charge, then this was going to be harder than he thought. He looked around the room at the other men but they were all motionless against the far wall, staring at the old man conduct his macho act. If he resisted any further, they were going to catch on that something was awry, but if he complied, then he was going to run out of time. That was what he needed, he needed to buy more time…


	6. What's Behind the Door?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> Whew! That felt like the longest break of mah life! Well, I am back now and ready to roar and have a fresh new mind. I barely managed to finish that awful paper (admittedly not my best work but we'll see) and now have some time to get into some fan-fic writing. In other news, while at work, I managed to see the movie The Host and although there were some things I didn't favor (like Ian Somerhalder not being cast as Ian O'Shea! Blasphemy!) but it was a cute movie nonetheless. It got me in the mood of reading the book again and boy did my feels swirl like a 15 year old dork. Talk about awesome true love: 3 me some WandaxIan!
> 
> Anywhooizes, today's first song of the shuffle is…Thomas Newman- Nemo Egg (Extended version), now before you laugh, Thomas Newman is an arts-man when it comes to compositions and this adorable theme song for such an amazing movie will forever be in my playlist until I'm old with great-grandchildren watching the movie with me =] Give it a listen if you're feeling blue or if you're going for a walk, it's awesome!
> 
> So, onto the story: last chapter ended with Tetsu being told that his charges were going to change from prostitution to terrorism! Whoa Third! But he needs some time, but for what? What happens next?! Well ya silly billies, read and find out! While you're at it, please rate and review and tell me what you think; any praise or criticisms are greatly appreciated.
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

_If he resisted any further, they were going to catch on that something was awry, but if he complied, then he was going to run out of time. That was what he needed, he needed to buy more time…_

"I gotta say," Tetsu growled through gritted teeth. "I'm not in real favor of this idea."

"If what you've said is true, then there is nothing to hide, correct?" The Third pressed.

"Nothing related to this village, sure, but I still have some personal memories I prefer not to share."

"Then in that case," the Third said as he waved Inoichi forward towards Tetsu. "We thank you for your sacrifice."

 _Asshole_ , Tetsu thought.

_Allow them passage_

_Allow them in_

_Nothing will happen_

_They will know of no sin_

This sounded like too much a gamble; would it really buy enough time? A light surge of pain in Tetsu's chest was answer enough. Gamble or not, this was the only option. Fair enough. The man by the name of Inoichi approached Tetsu with caution, eyeing him from hair to shoe, almost to see if he was securely tied up. The Third and Inoichi gave each other a long stare, communicating solely through pupils—if that were possible. The other two, from what he could see, were quietly watching the whole scene. Secretly—or perhaps not so secretly very soon—he imagined them seductively walking up towards him with the sway of their hips and strip teasing that ninja gear off with the other two beside him holding him down. He imagined the silver-haired on his lap first, twisting himself in a way that made the obvious bulge in his pants even more obvious. He imagined himself feeling turned on by the scene and having to writhe against the men bearing their strength down on him. He imagined the masked one, feeling left out, walking behind him to rake his long, pale fingers through his hair, scratching his scalp hard enough to desire those scratches on his back. He then imagined those fingers grasping his hair and pulling his head back to place those cold false lips upon his warm human ones. Of course, this was only to distract him from seeing the silver one trail downwards with open-mouthed kisses. Just the thought of what that face must look like caused a violent shudder to course through his veins. The unrealistic scenario almost made Tetsu laugh; in such dire situations, was it really so smart to think about sex?

The feel of an actual hand on his head snapped Tetsu back to reality. Alarmingly, he looked up in hopes that his fantasy was to come true but was disappointed to see it was Inoichi. Not that the man was hard on the eyes, but he didn't look as… _instinctual_  as the other two. He looked as if he were gentle and kind to his lovers, something that Tetsu admired, but didn't want for himself.

"This will not hurt you, I assure you," Inoichi said lowly.

"I'm not scared, just pissed. Just do what you gotta do."

Inoichi nodded and closed his eyes in concentration, focusing on the task at hand. All within an instant, Inoichi's physical body limped and was caught by Sasuke. His mind darted towards Tetsu and entered his mental realm. The very first thing Inoichi noticed was the overbearing heat that surrounded him. Before even landing on the ground, he felt sweat seep out of his pores and through his clothing.  _What is this?_  He looked around and saw the traditional blueprint structure that many people had within their minds; a long hallway filled with a variety of doors that represented a collective of memories to symbolize an emotion. But this 'hallway' was painted as a dungeon hall with blood red bricks and steel-like doors of all sizes strewn throughout in a disorganized manner. There was steam blocking one end of the hallway while the other end was just more doors and heat.

It was getting difficult to breathe the hot and humid air; Inoichi began panting in harsh huffs, trying to regain his senses. He was an awe of the unique structure but he wasn't sure if it that was considered a good thing or something completely dangerous. Nevertheless, he had a mission to accomplish and he had no choice but to sift through this man's memories. Inoichi had to consider the type of crime this man had committed—a crime of lust, perversion, and sin. Ordinarily, a person's 'dark' memories were categorized slightly different than the joyful or neutral memories; the doors would be either dented or marked with slashes or stamped with symbols that correlated to what might have traumatized them. This hallway was difficult to decipher since it had none of that to go on. After taking deep breath, Inoichi reached for the door closest to him but snapped his hand back after feeling the burning heat from the door knob.  _What the hell is wrong with this place?!_  There were too many things that bothered Inoichi about this place!

With anger and frustration now fueling him, he grabbed the knob, twisted and pulled. A light lush of steam blew out but Inoichi was able to wave it away fast enough to see what memory lie behind it. He regretted it as soon as he saw it…

It was a poorly lit room but he could easily see a woman in high heels moving about in this way or that, moaning incoherent sentences to whoever would listen. Her striking back was glistening under whatever illumination existed in this memory while dark figures clutched at her skin like animals. He concluded that he probably couldn't see their faces or bodies because Tetsu didn't find them important or significant enough to remember. The woman moaned again and begged for more, for whatever she could get. The memory startled Inoichi and he meant to slam the door shut and move on so he could finally get this over with (thank goodness Ino wasn't assigned to this task) but the woman suddenly stopped her noises and motion.

"May I ask, who are you?" Her voice was hoarse and deep.

"S-Sorry—I didn't mean—I—," Inoichi stammered and out of uncertainty and embarrassment, he slammed the door shut. He knew it was immature but he couldn't help his face turning beet red and his nose on the brink of bleeding. As he hastily turned to leave, the door opened.

"Oi, who are you?" The same mysterious woman asked. Inoichi suddenly processed that the memory woman not only spoke but opened the door! Memories  **DO NOT**  do that!

Within an instant, Inoichi pulled out a kunai knife in defense. "Who are you and what are you doing?!"

The woman smirked with a quirked eyebrow, clearly amused by Inoichi's actions. "Calm down," she began but her throat was still dry-sounding and husky. She cleared her throat and began again. "Calm down. You're the real intruder here. Are you looking for the guard?"

Inoichi knew what she was referring to; there was different terminology, depending on the person, but essentially the guard was the gate-keeper or the protector of the memories. "Are you the guard?"

The woman laughed. "I guess you could call me one of his lackies. So, who are you?"

"The same question could be asked of you. Are you a part of that memory?"

"That memory? Pfft, no, I was just goofing around." The woman suddenly smiled. "The kid has some interesting shows. Wanna look through some more doors?"

He shuddered in thinking about what else could be hidden behind these doors. "No, thank you. If possible, I must meet with the guard. Where is he?"

"Sure, I'll show you. Follow me." She walked passed him and down the hallway opposite of the steam. Inoichi wasn't sure if her cooperation was something to be wary of but with him observing her, he realized that she wasn't clothed.

"E-Excuse me, could you please….?"

"Huh?"

"Some clothes. Could you please put on some clothes?" He begged with a blush.

The woman looked down and noticed her predicament but did not seem deterred or bothered in the least. Instead, she shrugged as if it were nothing new and snapped her fingers to produce a simple shirt and pants. She changed the style of her hair, from two long pigtails, to one long side braid. Turning to one of the doors, she checked her reflection, flirtatiously squinting her blue eyes and pouting her lips; the whole ritual reminded him of Ino. She gestured for him to follow and quietly he followed behind the woman, watching for any suspicious movements. The hallway wasn't as long as it had appeared which confused Inoichi a little. They arrived at the end of the hallway, which was a large, almost never-ending white space that occupied nothing but a sandbox, a swing, and a little boy playing in the sandbox.

"Hey Squirt, we got us a visitor!"

The little boy, that honestly looked no older than six, looked up at Inoichi and the woman. He scrunched his face in disapproval. "Mama, is he a bad guy?"

"Mama?! You're his mom?!"

The woman pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes in agitation. "Hush, my nickname's Mama, I'm not the squirt's mom. That's Squirt, by the way, the guard."

"H-He's…the guard?" Nothing made any sense in this mind! Inoichi was ready to call it quits but he was still nowhere near getting the information that he wanted. "Squirt, was it? If you are the guard, then I am in need of your assistance."

The little boy by the name of Squirt furrowed his tiny eyebrows for whatever reason and palmed a handful of sand. "Can you play with me? If you play with me, I can help."

"I'm sorry, but I don't have that kind of time. I need to find a certain memory."

Squirt's frown deepened. "But you don't belong here. If you're a nice guy, then you need to play with me."

Inoichi weighed his options: A. Play with the kid, or B. Forget all of this and find the answers your own way…

With a heavy sigh, Inoichi chose A; if he went about in unfamiliar territory, especially as unfamiliar as this structure, then he would never find what he was looking for. He gently sat himself across Squirt upon the sand, feeling the warmness seep through his clothing and envelop him in a comfortable atmosphere. Inoichi started with a little pale bucket and scooped the sand to start his sand castle. Squirt did the same and the two quietly went about, playing in the sand.

Inoichi observed the young boy and noted his untamed hair, wild and blonde like the owner of this mind, his large cerulean eyes, his naturally-tanned skin, and his parallel scars across his cheeks. Although he didn't want to admit it out loud, the little Tetsu was a precious child, beautiful even. There was this angelic air to him that made his innocence stand out. It was a shame this poor child became tainted by the outside world and morphed into the cynical being that he is today.

"Squirt? Can you help me?" Inoichi asked softly.

"Okay, what do you need help with?"

"Tetsu has a recent memory that might have gotten him in trouble. But he says he didn't do it, so I need to check the memory and see if he's really telling the truth."

"What memory?"

"A very recent one, it has a young boy in it, by the name of Konohamaru. There was also another man by the name of Ebisu."

Squirt closed his eyes while still moving his hands over the sand. When he reopened them, the white space around us was changed into a mountain terrain with the sound of huffing and puffing. Inoichi felt as if he were suddenly watching a large and close-up film.

_"'Jeez, why the hell did I decide to do this?! Stupid mountain is too damn tall!'"_

_Tetsu climbed the rocky cliff, huffing as he rose higher and higher. His hand were reddened and swollen from the harsh heat beating down on him and the rocks digging into his skin. Luckily, he could see the top really close, it was just a few more steps and he was going to get there, get to the top. His muscles ached, his head hurt, his eyes were blinking much too rapidly for his liking, and he was just tired! But five more moves, now four—take a deep breath, take another one, calm yourself—three more moves—another breath—two more, one left to go, now pull yourself up! The sunset that awaited at the top of this stupid fuckin' mountain was worth the whole damn thing. It was breathtaking, it was special, it was normal._

The memory finished and the space turned white again. Squirt was still fiddling with the sand as if nothing happened.

"Squirt, that was beautiful, but the memory I'm talking about happened about yesterday morning. It involved a brown-haired young boy."

Squirt tried again and closed his eyes. The white space changed into what appeared to be a clothing store.

_Tetsu was standing in front of a full length mirror admiring the beautiful and expensive kimono draped over his body. The color was a powerful blue that almost equaled the shade of his eyes. It was easy to see his reflection and believe that he was attractive, that he was seductive, that he was wanted-material. Thoughts of sex filled his mind to the brim and it made him shiver in excitement. Yes, this outfit would get him exactly what he wanted—_

"No! Squirt, this isn't what I'm referring to. I'm talking about—"

"I know," Squirt mumbled. It was much too quick for Inoichi to be sure about, but he believed he saw Squirt look over his shoulder. Was Mama saying something to him? "I don't have that memory."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't have that memory. I don't have it." He shifted his eyes back down at the sand, fiddling with the pale and shovel.

"That's impossible, Tetsu couldn't have forgotten, you would have made sure of that. Did you lose the memory?" Inoichi began feeling uneasy.

Squirt clutched the pale even tighter and puffed his cheeks like any six year old would do when caught lying. "I said I don't have it. I didn't lose it, I just don't have it. It's not with me."

"…Not with you?" Inoichi echoed. The phrase kept repeating in his own mind until unexpectedly, something clicked. "Mama…?"

"Hm?"

Inoichi slowly turned to see Mama leaning against the entrance with a bored expression. "Why did I appear in the middle of the hallway when I entered?"

"How the hell should I know? Maybe you aimed wrong."

That wasn't right. Inoichi knew, from years of experience, that when entering a person's mind, you always appeared before the guard of the memories. It didn't strike him at first as questionable since Tetsu had a completely different structure than most people, but now certain things were beginning to add up.

"And why doesn't Squirt have any of the right memories?"

"Hmm, maybe he's not such a good guard."

"Or he's not the real one!" Inoichi shot up from his sitting position and threw his kunai knife from earlier towards Mama. The knife was quick and hit Mama directly in the head. As her body fell to the ground in a bloody heap, Inoichi willed himself to turn towards Squirt. The little boy was seething, breathing harshly with dark red eyes and saliva leaking out through the corners of his mouth. The image terrified him.

Without a second thought, Inoichi ran towards the exit, back towards the heat-infested hallway. A piercing roar could be heard behind him, but Inoichi was both too scared and too focused to turn around. He begged his body to go beyond any limits he might have had and reach the other end of the hallway, ignoring the heavy presence that was in hot pursuit of him. Inoichi could see the steam that he saw earlier and ran even faster to get through it, but as he predicted, this hallway wasn't the usual. There existed nothing but a dead-end behind all of that steam.  _I knew it! But if this is a dead-end then that means this is only one half of the hallway. Half a hallway means…half the mental space._  Inoichi remembered Squirt and his unwillingness to share any memories that he asked for.  _"'It's not with me.'"_  The memory  _isn't_  with him because he doesn't have it…

"Of course!" He had to dispel the jutsu before that roaring demonic creature (probably Squirt's true form) caught up to him. As he returned to his original body, he gasped and flailed wildly against Sasuke, who tried to calm him down and restrain him.

"Inoichi-san, calm down! What's wrong?!" The Third demanded.

"IT'S A SHADOW CLONE!"


	7. All a Maze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> My dogs Lollifer 'Lolly' Pookie Correnti and Lillian 'Lilly' Pookster Correnti are currently giving me feedback about my fanfiction and told me to tell you guys hello and thanks for reading! Haha, yes, these beasts are monopolizing my bed as we speak, but they're my babies ^_^
> 
> The first song of the shuffle is…*DRUM ROLL*…MS MR- Hurricane. If you have not heard of this bittersweet melody, get your ass a youtubez account and find it! It's really an awesome song and if you listen to the lyrics, you'll find that anybody can easily relate to it (unless you're Mother Theresa, then in that case…).
> 
> So, back to the story, Inoichi does a mental search—BODY SNATCHER STYLE!—and makes a wild discovery! If it's a shadow clone, then where's the real Tetsu?! Well, if you wanna find out, you know the drill ;)
> 
> P.S. If you guys want to ask any questions, maybe I can answer them next chapter either in the beginning or the end? It's up to you, I aim to please and eat, my only goals in life =P
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

_"Inoichi-san, calm down! What's wrong?!" The Third demanded._

_"IT'S A SHADOW CLONE!"_

"What?!" shouted the Third. Sasuke and Kakashi were both standing in utter shock with widened eyes and slacked jaws. However, in immediate action, Kakashi summoned his nin-dogs while Sasuke activated his Sharigan, ready to attack.

The nin-dogs didn't even need to be given an order to attack; they launched forward to latch onto Tetsu, but before they could even get the chance, the cloned Tetsu winked and willed himself gone. "Quickly, use what little scent you've attained and find him!" Kakashi shouted. The nin-dogs instantly moved about.

 _How could this have happened? How did we not notice?_  Sasuke wondered. Using his eyes, he scanned around the room to see if he could find any abnormalities but found none. None of it made any sense! There was no way for Tetsu to escape from a guarded cell without catching any attention or being caught…unless…

Suddenly, Sasuke raced out of the room and to the sign-in desk where he signed his and the Third's name earlier.  _Isiki-san!_  There was no sign of the man until Sasuke felt a presence hidden behind a nearby broom closet. Sasuke wasted no time in tearing the door open and he found the real Ishiki curled on the ground with his legs and arms bound together and a gag over his mouth. With speed and accuracy, Sasuke set the man free from the bindings and helped him up from the floor.

"Are you alright?"

"No, I mean yes, I mean I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have…I don't know what happened—"

"Ishiki-san, forget about all of that, just tell me what you remember happening last."

"R-Right, I was at the desk and the new guy—the one you were interrogating earlier—was shouting and saying all sorts of things. I kept telling him to shut up or I was going to call the ANBU but he wouldn't shut up. Then this woman came down the hall asking if she could see him—"

"To see Tetsu? Have you ever seen this woman before?"

"No, definitely not. She was too beautiful; if I did see her before, I would have remembered."

"Then what happened?"

"I told her no a couple times, especially since she didn't have ID, but then she kept…flirting with me…distracting me. Next thing I know, I'm passed out and woke up on the ground here until you found me."

"What did she look like?"

"Young, tall, maybe about 5"8' or 5"9', tan, long blonde hair in pigtails, and blue eyes."

"Okay,"  _Even the lower ranks had good enough eyes for detail._  "Go on and tell Inoichi-san and Kakashi-san; I'll go out and look for anyone with that description."

"Y-Yes," Ishiki said shakily. He hurried off to the cell while Sasuke wasted no time in running outside. He was determined in ending this little game…

_**Earlier- Before and After the Tetsu clone popped** _

Posed as the guy that was stationed at the front desk gave Tetsu a lot of leverage in moving freely about the village. He took note of how it differed from the many villages he's visited in the past, like the fashion sense, the merchandise sold from the stands, the smell of the delicacies, and the chatter that circulated around him. A part of him wanted to feel disgusted at the happy atmosphere since it wasn't an environment he was use to seeing, but another part of him, a part of him that he's rarely noticed, appreciated the freshness. He couldn't help but be enamored by the children's laughter that rung nearby. This was entirely too different from when he was a child.

And just like that, the confusing emotions disappeared when Tetsu felt that his plan had been discovered.  _Shit! They've already caught on!_  He collected the clone's memory and saw how the blonde-haired guy figured out he was a shadow clone. If he's assuming correctly, then that masked guy and the silver-haired guy are going to be out looking for him, so it was now or never to escape! Tetsu made his way through the crowds but just as he was about to make it through the other side, he was yanked back with force. For a split moment, Tetsu was scared enough to believe he was already caught.

"Geez, I've been calling you like crazy, Ishiki-san!"

Tetsu—or Ishiki-san—turned around to see who was speaking, but could only see the top of something bright pink. While blinking speculatively, he looked down to see two wide teal orbs staring right at him. It was a woman with bright— _very bright_ —pink hair. "Um…?"

"I was calling you several times and you didn't answer me. That's pretty rude, you know."

"Ah, I'm sorry, it's just been a little…crazy at the holding cells and I was distracted. What did you need me for?"  _Shit Shit Shit! This was really bad, he knew the bare minimum about this guy he was posing as, but he didn't know shit about this chick! What if she notices that he doesn't say her name? Or that he can't answer certain things?! SHIT!_

"Oh, I just wanted to ask if you were going to stop by to see your brother today? Otherwise I'll just have one of the nurses take him to therapy later."

 _Brother + nurses + therapy = brother at the hospital, possibly in a coma or physically traumatized._   _That can be useful information._  "Actually, there's this new…inmate at the cells, and he's causing a bit of a problem. I might be covering a little overtime."

"Really? Who is he?"

"Some prostitute found outside the village, but he's been causing some trouble for some reason. That's all I know."

The pink-haired woman pursed her lips in thought but then nodded to herself. "Okay then, then I'll see you around. If you do manage to stop by anyway, just send a heads up."

"Of course, thanks a lot…," Tetsu paused, unsure of what to call her. He blushed in both fear and embarrassment. The woman noticed his hesitation and arched an eyebrow, confused as to why he seemed so conflicted. Then, as if a light sparked within her head, she began giggling. "W-What's wrong?"

"You! There's no need to be polite, I'm not married to him yet. You're still allowed to call me Saukra."

"I couldn't… _He_ , I'm sure, wouldn't approve of a man calling his future wife by her name."  _Thank God…_

"Pssh, Sasuke doesn't worry about such trivial things. Oh! I gotta go—like I said, you can call me Sakura. Bye, Ishiki-san!" She ran away through the crowd, hurrying to whatever destination.

Tetsu took the moment to watch her disappear and thought of how cute she looked. The hair color was odd, but given that her name was Sakura, it actually kind of suited her. Too bad she was going to get married; she would have looked splendid covered in sweat and semen. Yet, for some reason, the idea didn't excite him as much as he thought it would. Nevertheless, Tetsu had to get going or escape out of this village was going to be slim.  _It's probably better to change this disguise into something less suspicious but could get him out of the village._  The first image that popped into his head made him want to laugh, but it was doable. Tetsu slid himself in a secluded alleyway and immediately transformed into a tall figure with black clothing and sunglasses.  _This will have to do_.

"Ebisu" quickly ran down the alley and made his way north of the village where the large gates were located. He wasted no time in dillydallying like before and managed to get far enough where it was just a matter of minutes before he was scot-free! And like all the luck in the world, at that very moment, a nin-dog came springing out from the roof tops, scouring the whole area. The two locked eyes even though "Ebisu's" couldn't be seen.

The dog was a small pug with brown fur and droopy dark eyes and he wore a blue shirt and headband. "E…bisu?" The dog started. He trailed off and confusedly looked at "Ebisu" with a tilt of his round, puggish-like face. The mental gears could be seen turning within the little pooch's mind and despite the small physique, the dog was capable of releasing a loud, cautionary growl. "You're not Ebisu!"

"What are you saying? Of course it's me!" Tetsu knew it was a stupid gamble, but it was worth a shot.

The dog issued another growl, but louder and grittier than before. "Sakura already gave you up as the imposter."

 _Damn bitch, but then again, stupid me._  "And how do you know Sakura wasn't the imposter…?"

"It was her scent, no doubt," the dog stated proudly.

"Oh sure, no one's  _ever_  been able to find a loophole in that plan! Who could ever be smart enough to fool a talking mutt?" Suddenly, Tetsu could hear two distinct growls resounding behind him. There were two other nin-dogs that arrived.

"Want to say that again?" The brown dog with sunglasses said. The second dog was a light beige and markings on his forehead.

Tetsu could see that he was cornered and no doubt, more nin-dogs were coming as well as their master and reinforcements. "Damn it, what is  _wrong_  with this village?! I just want to leave!"

"We can't let you do that," said the pug.

Tetsu dispelled his transformation and revealed his true form, no longer caring about the pretenses. He narrowed his eyes at all three dogs and took his stance in defense. "That's a shame," he snarled. "Because I really didn't want to kill you lot."

All three dogs howled at the threat and they too took a stance in case they needed to pounce. "Stand down!" The pug shouted at Tetsu.

Slowly, Tetsu raised both hands and placed them together before his face. Thos dogs shouted their warnings but he paid no heed. Instead, he allowed them to watch as he formed his fingers into a seal and enacted his most favorite jutsu, Shadow Clone jutsu. The exact numbers weren't known, but there were a lot of Tetsus' suddenly occupying the area.

"Pakkun!" a voice shouted. Kakashi arrived with Sasuke at his side, overwhelmed by the staggering numbers of cloned Tetsus'. The rest of the nin-dogs arrived and assisted the original three in destroying the clones. With each pop of a clone, steam would arise and block the view of the entire area. "Pakkun, where are you?"

"I'm right here, Kakashi," it was the pug that answered.

"Don't lose him, no matter what!"

"There he is!" Sasuke called out as he pointed straight ahead of him. His Sharigan was activated and he could sense the unfamiliar chakra moving away from them. All three, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Pakkun, moved forward to chase after Tetsu while the rest of the nin-dogs disposed of the remaining clones. However, Sasuke noticed the figure running away from them wasn't shaped like the blonde-haired man, but like…a dog? The four-legged fiend headed for the gates with the speed that was easily comparable to light. Sasuke pulled out a kunai knife from his sack and with hands of a perfectionist, he wrapped an explosive tag perfectly around it.

"What are you doing?! That'll cause too much damage!" Pakkun yelled.

Sasuke ignored him and continued to latch, not one, but three explosive tags onto the knife. "He's transformed into a dog. We have to get the guards to close the gates before he escapes and this will slow him down." Sasuke then threw the kunai knife ahead of him but towards the side so they would be hit by the impact. The knife missed hitting Tetsu but within seconds, the paper bomb exploded.

_BOOM!_

The explosion itself wasn't dangerous, but the fire, burning wood, and building smoke wasn't a reassurance. Tetsu, in defense, created more clones of himself to absorb any impact of the explosion, yet he couldn't stop the small inhalation of the smoke that made his eyes water and lungs feel as if they were dipped in water. With his four legs, he pushed himself to try and run harder but breathing was quickly becoming a difficult task.  _Don't stop, keep going!_  He waivered a bit as he ran, but Tetsu was determined to not fall down and get caught; he wanted to be free.

"Sasuke, he's slowed down. I think we can get to him," Kakashi said.

Tetsu was panting and on the verge of passing out but he wasn't completely out of it; he still had one trick up his sleeve. Another wave of smoke appeared before him but it vanished instantaneously to reveal a tall, tan, blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman. The woman looked down at Tetsu with a curious expression. She crouched down and placed a warming hand on top of Tetsu's head. "Don't give up, Tetsu-sama. I'll take care of the rest. Get up and escape while I distract them."

Although weary, Tetsu eyed his female form and felt comforted by her warm icy stare, even though they were his eyes. The woman stood up and made her way opposite of where Tetsu was running, straight for Kakashi and Sasuke. His legs were weak, his vision was blurred, his throat was dry and burning, and overall, he felt like he wanted to sleep for days. But despite all of that, Tetsu overlooked his pain and pushed himself to run, to run,  _to run_. Kakashi and Sasuke saw the woman—Sasuke suspecting it was the one Ishiki-san described earlier—and halted in their pursuit as she took a demeanor of battle. This clone wasn't like the other ones; there was something very different about her.

"Step aside or you'll be taken down," Sasuke ordered.

"Wouldn't be the first time for two men to take me down," she said with a playful wink. "So how about it, boys? Wanna play?"


	8. Should Have Listened

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> Hope you guys are doing well! I've been trying to get inspiration by reading some manga and watching some of my favorite shows like House; I've always been enamored by the 'broken' characters that make such a significance on the show/series, yet they feel as if their existence isn't worth much.
> 
> Anyway, the first song of the shuffle is The Civil Wars- Disarm. This song is a cover of the original, created and sung by the band Smashing Pumpkins. I personally find Civil Wars' version better because it legitimately sounds like they're hurting while they're singing, but this is not to demean or bash the Smashing Pumpkins' version; both are good and the lyrics are awesome no matter what, so please give it a listen =]
> 
> Hope you guys are enjoying the storyline so far. If there are any questions, don't hesitate to ask! As for now, Tetsu is in the midst of escaping while Mama has come back to distract the offense; will he succeed or will he be captured? WARNING: There is minor character death in this chapter, so beware…
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

" _Wouldn't be the first time for two men to take me down," she said with a playful wink. "So how about it, boys? Wanna play?"_

"He's getting away!" Pakkun screamed.

"I'll get him," Kakashi declared. He separated himself away from Sasuke's side to run ahead. "You handle her."

However, when Kakashi made to move, a large object flew his way and blocked his chance of advancing. Luckily, he managed to dodge but the last second maneuver caused for his leg to twist in an unfavorable manner. Kakashi was experienced enough to ignore the ache, but he knew that whenever he'd get a chance to get it looked at, it was going to result in 'bed-rest'. Taking a closer inspection of what it was that almost hit him, it was a long, moving yellow spear—blonde, to be more precise. The spear retracted itself from the hole it created on the ground and returned back to its original state on the woman's head as her pigtail. The woman smiled at Kakashi's semi-shocked expression.

"Come now, Mr. Handsome, don't abandon the game just yet. I want to play with you both."

"I'm not in the mood for games," Kakashi replied.

"Too bad, because I'm not going anywhere until Tetsu gets out of here. Guess you're going to  _have_  to play."

Sasuke was fed up of this pointless chatter and despite the percentage of chakra used for his Sharigan, he still created a couple of his own shadow clones.  _Two can play at this game_. The clones moved of their own accord to fetch the escaping dog that was closing in on the open gates.

" **CLOSE THE GATES!** " One of the clones screamed.

Angered that they wouldn't fight her, Mama elongated her pigtails to dispose of the two clones. The clone that shouted the order to close the gates had somehow advanced too fast for her to catch, but she managed to catch the second one by the ankle and slam him violently back down to the ground. Using this as a window of opportunity, Kakashi charged at Mama with a Chidori already charged, piercing right through the evaporating smoke to aim at her chest. The two had fallen over and Kakashi landed on top of her with his hand jabbed through. However, when Kakashi looked down, he noticed he had not killed Mama with his Chidori because she blocked the attack with her hair.

"What the hell are you?" He asked breathlessly.

Mama smirked as she gazed up at him. "You definitely look handsome from this angle. Too bad you're going to have to die." As she spoke those words, her hair expanded and wrapped itself around Kakashi's body like a snake killing its prey.

"Guh!" Kakashi couldn't breathe; the hair felt like steel wires constricting his air passages. He wanted to curse her to hell but he couldn't even speak.

Mama was enjoying the struggles of Mr. Handsome but her fun was soon to end when she looked up and saw Sasuke coming straight down at them. To avoid being hit, Mama flipped over so she was now on top of Kakashi, but her hair being tied around him kept them stuck together. Sasuke was disappointed that he hadn't hit her but he now had leverage since she was tangled. He began forming seals that had looked all too familiar to Mama.

"Wait a damn second, you'll burn him too!"

Sasuke paused. "He's lived long enough."

"Tsk!" Mama released her hair and cast Kakashi aside so she could escape from Sasuke's range. Kakashi, without regards to his breathing problems just a matter of seconds ago, quickly recuperated and nabbed Mama by the wrists so he could pin them behind her and hold a kunai to her throat.

"You look good from this angle," Kakashi joked. Mama wasn't amused. Kakashi looked up at Sasuke and frowned at him. "You were a little too convincing there."

"I wasn't bluffing…"

Meanwhile, Sasuke's clone was catching up to the Tetsu-dog while the guards, who heard the demand earlier, were pulling the large chords to close the gates. Tetsu didn't care about his limitations, he continued running with the hopes that he was going to make it. Be that as it may, he still worried on the off chance that he  _wasn't_  going to make it; what was he to do then? None of the clones worked since they were too easy to maneuver against and Mama was too busy handling the other two. Tetsu's problem now wasn't just a race against time with the gates but that stupid shadow clone chasing after him. Yet, Tetsu wondered why he was making himself worried; he thought he had just one last trick up his sleeve but that was a lie. He couldn't do the fighting himself since that wasn't strategically smart so he was only left with a few options. Tetsu wondered how he could pull this off without wasting anytime or messing up.

_Give me your legs and use your mind_

_Summon the child for the fight_

_Release yourself from this bind_

_Thus, he will strike back and bite_

With a deep breath, Tetsu released control of his conscience and gave the reigns over. His notorious blue eyes transformed into a blood-lusty red, his teeth became into refined daggers, and the nails of his paws flourished into thick, sharp weapons that dug deep into the soil beneath him. He began running much faster than before, something that the cloned Sasuke picked up on with his Sharigan. Tetsu being in the back of the control at the moment, managed to do as instructed and summon Squirt. Considering the heightened speed that Tetsu was running at, Squirt wasn't summoned in the most graceful of manners. He appeared in the middle of the pathway and rolled about until he landed on his back. The young child—who thankfully wasn't hurt—was very baffled by his environment and had no inkling of what was going on.

" _ **Delay that clone!**_ " Tetsu shouted as he ran ahead. Although, Squirt could tell that it wasn't really Tetsu giving the orders.

"Y-Yes, Sir!" Squirt turned to face the enemy, who was rapidly approaching him at a hasty speed. Without wasting a precious moment, Squirt transformed himself as well for an attack. His already tan skin began turning a couple shades darker while his eyes and teeth resembled very closely to that of what Tetsu looked like now.

The cloned Sasuke halted completely upon seeing the demonic-looking child; he exuded a horrendous aura of hatred from his tiny body that scorched Sasuke deep under skin.  _Just what the hell….?!_  Squirt launched himself at Sasuke to claw at his chest but Sasuke blocked the attack, giving him time to swing a punch of his own. Surprisingly, the punch hit him square on the nose and threw him off a couple feet away from Sasuke. The kid wasn't discouraged, however, and got up again to attack. This time, he aimed for Sasuke's legs and latched his teeth onto Sasuke's flesh

"Shit!" Sasuke growled. Squirt had no means of letting go despite Sasuke pelting him with hard-covered punches and simply held on for dear life. "Let go!"

On spur of the moment, the real Sasuke suddenly came forth and heaved a kick right at Squirt's head. The pain was too much for the child to bear and his jaw loosened their grip on clone-Sasuke's leg. As he fell, Sasuke dispersed his clone and ran past Squirt so he could focus on Tetsu. A pained squeal reverberated behind him but Sasuke was sure that the kid wasn't following him. Sasuke sifted through his clone's memories and stored the little knowledge he could gather into his own memory.  _So the woman has smarts but not the strength, whereas the kid only has strength but no brains. Whatever they are, those aren't normal clones by any standard._  Sasuke picked up his pace as he noticed Tetsu running at an impossible speed to the gates, but luckily, they were a few inches from closing.

_Barriers are for keeping out_

_But they try to keep us in_

_I will spread my power all throughout_

_And devour all the souls within_

NO! That won't help by any means!

_YOUR way has been tried!_

_And so you have failed!_

_You are no child I will chide_

_It is either us or them to be impaled_

Tetsu disagreed wholeheartedly, but he wasn't in control of his motions at the moment. He could see through his rustic eyes how close they were to freedom, but there were already two guards blocking the way. " _ **MOVE!**_ "

Both guards held up weapons for defense. "Stay back!" One shouted.

Tetsu growled venomously as he placed himself within range, and without a single ounce of mercy, he fastened his canines into the throat of the older-looking man with a cloth tied over his nose and instantly yanked his head back to rip the flesh apart.

"KOTETSU!" But it didn't matter. Kotetsu was dead within seconds. Before Izumo, the second guard, could even finish screaming, Tetsu had managed to forcibly squeeze himself through the minor gap between the gates before it closed completely.

Sasuke appeared instantaneously with little oxygen passing through his airways, but it was unfortunately, not soon enough. "D-Damn it," he whispered under his breath. Kotetsu's blood had seeped into the ground.

"He's…dead," Izumo moaned. Despite the rules of shinobi:  _A shinobi was never reveal his tears; they are a sign of weakness_ , Izumo couldn't help but shed some tears in loss for his best friend.

Before Sasuke could think or say anything in response, a piercing, devilish laugh resounded about. Sasuke and Izumo looked back where Kakashi was still holding the woman down. The terrifying thing was that she was several yards away, but her voice sounded crystal clear, almost as if she were standing right there next to them.

"What are you laughing at?!" Kakashi snapped.

Mama turned her head to the side to get a better look, but she still couldn't see Kakashi. "Oh nothing, just realizing how pathetic you all are. Tetsu-sama and the Lord needn't have shed that man's blood had you heeded their warning. It alllll your faullllt!" She said in a sing-song voice.

"How dare you—"

"It's a pity Mr. Handsome, things could have been so much better had you listened. Well, good bye."

"Hey!"

"HEY SQUIRT, TIME TO GO!" She shouted. Squirt was still laying on the ground clutching his head, but he responded to Mama's voice and poofed himself away the same as Mama. Kakashi could still feel the warmth on his hands even after minutes of her vanishing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this is such a short chapter! I wanted to DBZ-atize this chapter by stretching out something that might have really been five minutes but making it more like ten (xD lol). No that that's over, I'll keep the future chapters as consistent in length as possible =] Hope you enjoy, please rate and review!


	9. A Monster and Sinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> Hope all is well and good =] I just want to say thanks so much for the reviews so far, they mean a lot!
> 
> The first song of the shuffle is a badass song, I love it to death! It's a perfect mix of Rock N' Roll and preacher-ish type music (idk); the song is Love Runs Out by OneRepublic. Give it a listen, you won't regret it, I promise.
> 
> In other news, I just want to give a little itty-bitty warning about this chapter =P: I typically outline how things are going to go and make necessary changes when it comes down to typing it., with that being said, I don't know what the hell happened but this chapter went into some crazy-ass direction (lmao) but I like it so I hope you like it too!
> 
> WARNING: 98% of this chapter is sex. Both Hetero and Homo…
> 
> P.S. I hope this is acceptable, please tell me what you think
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

_Kakashi could still feel the warmth on his hands even after minutes of her vanishing._

_Pant…Pant…Pant…_

_Thump…Thump…Thump…_

There wasn't a thought to any action, just automatic running and breathing; every exhale was a foot on the ground, every inhale was a foot in the air. The world was quiet. Tetsu's mind was too quiet in response.

_He was only human_

_Worse consequences were looming_

But it was worse killing him! Now a whole society will be cursing us with death.

_And it matters to you how?!_

_There is much I can tolerate_

_But your benevolence is what I'll disallow_

Not benevolence, just…other options. I—I can still  _feel_  his skin on my teeth and taste his blood. I can still feel how easy it was to crush his throat. These are not things I want to get use to.

_We are monsters, Tetsu_

_Matters we've already discussed_

_Matters we have already been through_

_You are what I am, nothing equated to disgust_

Monsters. The term suited Tetsu quite accurately, something he accepted a long time ago, but that didn't mean he  _liked_  it any better. A part of him still believed that killing that man wasn't the smartest decision. Unfortunately, his thoughts were heard and a loud shrieking growl was Tetsu's response. The mental arguing began giving him a headache so he kept his thoughts quiet for the moment. They had ran a few minutes more before Tetsu pulled to the side—into some bushes—and returned into his original form. Any cuts or bruises he received from the battles were immediately handled. Being able to catch his breath, Tetsu closed his eyes and focused hard enough to reawaken in the depths of his mind, The Cage. Mama and Squirt were already waiting for him, sitting together on the ground. The both of them were fleshly exposed before him, savoring the casual feel of their skin. Tetsu didn't have to look down to know he too was naked since he felt much lighter than before. Right behind them was the enormous, infamous cage that harbored the equally infamous beast.

"We don't have a lot of time," Mama said.

_The fool wishes to talk_

"And if I do? Look, I just want to make it clear that we're going to be hunted for a while. We have to be on guard and we're going to have to keep the chakra at low levels until this brushes over."

"But we were there for a while, do you think…?" Mama trailed off.

Tetsu sighed in frustration. "I don't know. It's 50-50 by this point. I'm just hoping that's not the case. Killing that guy may have made things worse; the Leaf Village will put in a word all around, making it easier to find us."

_What had to be done was done_

"BLOOD isn't the only option!"

A loud roar rattled the bars of the cage violently enough to cause Squirt to whimper. "ENOUGH!" Mama screamed. She faced Tetsu and reached to clasp his hands in hers. "Tetsu-sama, sometimes, it isn't about the options, but about whether we have the time or not. Of course we had the option to not kill that man, but we didn't have that kind of time. Your safety is the utmost importance, no matter what. You, better than anyone else, knows that we couldn't have stayed captured there. Kurama-sama was just trying to protect you."

Tetsu's icy eyes softened as he looked down to peer at his feminine duplicates. "I know. I know and I'm sorry. I am."

"You are forgiven."

Tetsu slowly circled his arms around Mama, pulling her closer to him to feel her full nakedness against his. He was captivated by the softness of her skin, by her scent that resembled so closely to his, yet differed in their own ways, by the darkening of her irises, by the quiet gasp that escaped from her lips. The two were so entirely lost in their own world that the sound of Squirt's whimpering startled them.

"May I leave to play?"

"Y-Yes! Sorry about that, go on Squirt, you can go on and play," Tetsu urged.

Squirt smiled and waved goodbye to the two as he raced out of The Cage to play whatever it was he was so desperate to play. Tetsu, being distracted by the small interruption, nearly shouted in ecstasy upon feeling Mama's soft palm pumping his hardening member; he panted onto her face and she reveled in the whole scene.

_How disgusting_

"Jealous?" Tetsu gasped as Mama sunk lower.

_I am essentially a god_

_Why would I envy a human?_

_The timing of this act is odd_

_In fact, very stupid_

"He's right, we don't have time," Mama said before grabbing the member to direct it towards her mouth.

"Ah, I, I haven't had sex in a while. The least I can deserve is a blow job."

Mama grinned at Tetsu's change of demeanor from his harsh attitude earlier. She lacked hesitation when sucking on Tetsu's cock—hard—and there wasn't any worry of pain since this was his mind (anything went!). She flicked her tongue across the pierced slit, enjoying the grunts and gasps emitting from the handsome man.

"You know, you would enjoy this much more, Tetsu-sama if you brought in another party…?"

"Yeah, yeah, just give me a sec. Fuck!" Tetsu closed his eyes and tried to envision the perfect person for the task.

Another set of arms wrapped themselves around Tetsu, pulling him back tightly against a hard chest. Mama couldn't help but stop her ministrations to giggle at the new arrival. "You're infatuated with him, aren't you?" The new clone was a replica of the red-streaked masked man.

"I don't know what he looks like, but he sounds hot. Now, shut up and get to it; we don't have time."

Mama resumed her duties while the masked clone placed Tetsu in a full-nelson. The fortunate part of this whole experience was that Tetsu didn't need to worry about preparation or safety-words; he was allowed to be plunged or be the plungee, feeling nothing but pleasure out of it. The clone did just that and delved his (presumably large) cock inside of Tetsu with force. Tetsu imagined the real thing to be greedy, aggressive, almost angry-like in his motions and those thoughts easily transferred into the clone. Mama had no trouble keeping up with the rough pounding, in fact, she made no complaints to slow down or stop.

Tetsu was in heaven. Never could he tire of such pleasurable things in his life. He tried to remind himself that there were other worries going on in the outside world—he is being sought after, after all—but it was extremely difficult to do when his body sang in tune to such intense rhythms. The clone thrusted into him with so much force that Tetsu imagined that in reality, he'd be bleeding. The sound of their skin smacking together only spurred on the most wanton of moans. Yes, he was a monster, but first and before all else, he was a hot-blooded, lustful sinner. In an abrupt manner, Mama stopped her magical mouth, leaving Tetsu wide-eyed and confused as all hell.

"What's wrong?" He rumbled. He was not shameless enough to yank her back.

"Nothing, just changing the position," she purred. Mama laid herself on the ground, exposing her nudity for all to see, and spread her legs wide open. Tetsu had to swallow to keep himself calm.

With the clone still attached to him, Tetsu lowered himself onto his hands and knees, basking in the bliss that the clone was giving him, and hovered over Mama. He tried to direct himself but Mama was always one step ahead and did the work for him. It almost felt as if it was eternity, but finally, he was sheathed inside the boiling heat of Mama. She moaned in unison with Tetsu as his length stretched her inner walls, but was given no time to recover. The clone upped his pace, rocking into both Tetsu and Mama.

"God…Fuck, oh my god, oh my god!" Tetsu groaned. He put his head on Mama's shoulder, licking the sweat that had accumulated there, all the while thrusting back to meet the clone's hard pace. The moans only grew louder as the pleasure thinned into sharp bursts that threatened to throw everybody over the edge.

Mama took hold of Tetsu's head and clutched his matted hair tightly between her fingers. "That's right, Tetsu, you're such a good boy," she whispered into his ear. Tetsu couldn't form any words, he didn't want to; he just wanted to be where he was right now and be this flustered bitch that begged for pleasurable mercy.

However, he  _had_  to say something, not because he wanted any of this to end, but because he desperately wanted to feel the high he always got from this. He wanted to see non-existing colors and have all of his senses fail him at once, only to come crashing down all together. "Ma-Mama," he begged. " _Please_ , I—"

"Ssh, I know. Just feel it." Mama's beautiful soothing hands trailed down Tetsu's back, scratching along the way, and stopped once they reached his two orbs of an ass. Despite her hands being thin and smaller than Tetsu's, she still managed to grasp both plump pieces of flesh and mold them to her will. While looking at the clone, she spread the cheeks apart—earning a very,  _very_  loud moan of appreciation—and licked Tetsu's ears. "Aim a little lower. That's his favorite spot."

Tetsu felt tears brimming at the edge of his eyes and as instructed, the clone hit his spot Dead. Fucking. On. There were no words to describe the trembling gasps and high pitched yeses' that spilled from Tetsu's mouth, but then again, there were no words strong enough to describe how good this had all felt for Tetsu. It didn't take long for Tetsu to scream his completion and Mama followed right along. The clone instantly disappeared, making Tetsu miss the large appendage inside of him, but he wasn't too disappointed with his view down below. Mama was covered in sweat, her cheeks flushed a pretty pink, and Tetsu's essence leaking out of her. It was enough to make Tetsu call forth her lips for a kiss.

_Are you DONE yet?_

"Yeah," Tetsu sighed. He planted another kiss before having Mama get up and leave The Cage. There were still faint traces of pleasure tingling down his spine, so he savored the trembles it caused before he had to return to reality.

_We must go_

Tetsu took one last glance at the beast, staring right at his blood stained eyes before reawakening in the forest. Not much time had passed (although it felt like it), but he couldn't waste any more time just sitting there. Tetsu paid close attention to his surroundings, trying to listen for any unusual noise or sense for any chakra coming his way. Nothing but the sounds of birds singing and trees rustling registered into Tetsu's mind. Confirming that everything was clear, Tetsu stood up from his spot and ran.

**Back at the Leaf Village:**

The silence was deafening. Not even Tsunade knew what to say. Kakashi and Sasuke were expecting her to scream until her voice went hoarse, but when they reported to her about the catastrophe that took place, she simply went silent. The Saidame was quiet as well; he felt foolish for thinking that he could exact revenge on the person who took advantage of his grandson. Now they had a death on their hands. The silence stretched on for several minutes, that is, until Sasuke grew impatient.

"Forgive me, Hokage-sama, but shouldn't we be on the pursuit?"

Tsunade barely moved her head to look at Sasuke. "Please, how incompetent do you think of me? I've already sent two teams of ANBU and shinobi to hunt the sonovabitch down."

"Then forgive me again in asking, what are  _we_  doing here?"

"Use your head, kid, what do you think? I've asked you all here, those that were practically involved since the beginning of this mess, to cool off and collect yourselves. This problem unnecessarily escalated onto a level it shouldn't be on, but we made it that way. Now we've stumbled upon something…big."

"What are you talking about, Tsunade?" The Third asked.

"I might be wrong…but I think we've found our missing Jinchūriki."


	10. Honor Thy Wishes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> How are you guys doing? I am so sorry for the late update but since last chapter changed courses, I now had to slightly alter how to get into the future chapters. I am pretty excited because I have come up with new ideas that you may appreciate more than what I had previously planned =].
> 
> Anywhoozies, the first song of the shuffle is Florence and the Machine- No Light No Light; I am a HUGE FATM fan (like a little over 30 songs in my ipod and counting), she's amazing and I love the notes that she can hit! Plus, if you've ever heard an interview from her, I always find it funny that naturally, she is soft spoken. Please give the song a listen, I think the lyrics kind of match the theme of this story a little!
> 
> For this chapter, we meet a new character and I already LOVE him! Haha, he will be showing up much more in future chapters so I hope you like him too. No Tetsu this chapter, but tell me what you think about what's going on! Enjoy, rate and review!
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

_"I might be wrong…but I think we've found our missing_ _Jinchūriki."_

Tsunade looked at everyone in the room to evaluate their reaction. Had the situation not been so serious, she would have laughed at their slacked jaws and widened eyes.

"H-How did you come to that conclusion?" The Saidame asked.

"To be honest, I'm just going off on a hunch. Based on all the reports I've read so far, I just think certain things fit the criteria."

"I don't mean to be rude, Hokage-sama, but for years we've searched the surrounding lands and nations for the 9-tail host and have found no trace. As tragic as it seems, it is most likely that the host and demon are dead," interjected Kakashi.

Tsunade visibly flinched at the word death. Although she wasn't living in Konoha at the time, she remembered receiving the worst news she could ever imagine via letter. The letter was written hastily but her experienced eyes knew exactly what was written.

_Dear Tsunade,_

_I hope this letter reaches you in time and in good health. I don't know how to say this, but by the time you get this letter, there is no doubt that I have already died. As I write this letter to you, Konoha is being attacked by the red demon, the Kyuuubi. The demon has sought freedom during child labor and is now killing our brethren. But Minato has thought of a plan that will save the village in exchange for our lives. He wishes to seal the demon within our son, Naruto. Tsunade! I don't have a lot of time! Please, with all of your might, please take care of our son. Jiraya-sama is already his godfather, so I'd wish for you to be his godmother. With Minato's death, there will no longer be a Hokage—please take that position and lead the village; only you can be perceptive enough to do it. I beg of you. I love you; you_ _are the most amazing person. Take care –Kushina._

The letter was horribly wrinkled and stained with ink and tears. Tsunade remembered clutching the letter and soaking it even more with her own tears. She immediately raced over to Konoha to honor Kushina's wishes, but all she met was a ruined village and Jiraya telling her even worse news. Naruto, the only physical link of Minato and Kushina, was gone, missing. As if things couldn't get any worse, Kushina's pregnancy was a secret (temporarily) to the village, so despite the large-scale search, with no inkling of what he looked like or who may have taken him, he was eventually presumed as dead. Tsunade reached the lowest point of her life; no longer having her best friend around nor her son that she swore to take care of. She resorted to alcohol to cope but still kept her vow and became the new Hokage for Konoha. Had it not been for Jiraya's support, she would have died much too early in her career.

"Hokage…sama?" Kakashi pressed.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, there is no evidence to suggest that this  _man_  could be Sensei's…child."

Tsunade heavily sighed. "I didn't say this for was certain, but there could be a poss—"

"Sasuke-san, Kakashi-san, Shizune-san, could you excuse us, please? I'd like to have a word with Tsunade."

Shizune worriedly looked to her boss who was too busy glaring at the Third, but she nodded nonetheless and followed Kakashi and Sasuke out the door. Once the soft click was heard, the two powerhouses approached each other with deep frowns scarring their faces—Tsunade having to get up and walk around her desk.

"You have something to say?"

"I do not like this direction."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning, you should drop this now. This boy isn't who you think he is."

"I never said he was! I said that I  _think_  he could be the container," Tsunade replied through gritted teeth.

"And I am telling you to quit that thinking now! This is not the first time you have traced this line of thinking. The village cannot afford for you to go on one of your witch hunts— _again_."

"Just what the hell is wrong with believing?! All I am trying to do is keep faith, for Kushina's sake."

"But that isn't what this is about, is it?" The Third questioned softly.

Tsunade's forehead wrinkled in confusion, trying to decipher the Third's change in tone. "What are you talking about?"

The Third coughed awkwardly to clear his throat. "Jiraya…mentioned it…he said he…you…the both of you have  _tried_. You…can't conceive."

It took a full two minutes for Tsunade to process those words and let them sink in. She wasn't sure she had heard correctly since the Third was trying to speak in softer tones, but it was clear on what he had said. She felt breathless, as if those words were a cold dip into the river. "H-How…DARE YOU!" And before she could even think to stop herself, her small, methodical hand, roughened by years of battle and medicine, reached across the little space between them and slapped the Third in the face. Thankfully—although Tsunade wasn't thinking so at the time—the Third was strong enough to handle the impact; Tsunade's hits were known to crush bone and stone, so it was clear that her heart wasn't in it to hurt him.

"Tsunade—"

"Get out!  **Get out!**  The nerve of you!"

The Saidame said no more, although, he did feel a pang in his chest upon seeing the shaken look on Tsunade's face. He nodded and whispered a mute goodbye before stepping towards the door and walking out. Sasuke, Kakashi, and Shizune were all standing by the door but it was clear they had heard the whole conversation. The Third said nothing to either of them and turned to walk down the hallway. Shizune wasted no time in hurrying inside to check on her master while Kakashi and Sasuke remained outside—the two knew better than to peek their heads in during a delicate moment. After a few moments, Shizune returned outside and without a single word, shook her head and waved goodbye. Both Kakashi and Sasuke understood and walked in the same direction the Third had walked before to leave.

The walk was silent but then again, there was a lot to think about. Kakashi thought about Kotetsu and Izumo while Sasuke contemplated on the possibility of Tetsu being the missing child from 20 years ago.

"Do you think what she said is true?" Kakashi inquired. He sounded unenthusiastic when asking the question, but Sasuke figured that the topic wasn't a light one to ask in a cheery tone.

"I agree that there is a possibility," he replied honestly. Kakashi immediately stopped in his tracks and turned Sasuke around to look him in the eyes. Despite the mask covering nearly the entirety of his face, it was obvious that Kakashi was frowning.

"You really think…that's Sensei's son? Him?"

Sasuke sighed and was beginning to see why Tsunade became so irritable. "I'm just telling you how I see it. I am not saying he is or isn't, just that it can be possible. Now, I have to go."

"Where are you headed off to? We still need to be on standby incase we're needed."

"If Hokage-sama needs us, she'll call us again."

Sasuke didn't even wait for a response as he walked away and headed to his home. Kakashi watched as Sasuke quickly maneuvered through the people of the streets, which left him to contemplate everything that had happened so far since meeting that person. Truthfully, he didn't hate Tetsu, by the idea that he could be his former sensei's son was…appalling. The man valued nothing, he was much too secretive and elusive, he  _killed_  Kotetsu, and he was a prostitute for the love of god! Okay, so perhaps the last bit was just Kakashi being picky, but there was something off-putting about Tetsu that Kakashi couldn't seem to get over. He wasn't sure what it was, but it was something and for now, that was enough for Kakashi to continue to deny that that man was in any possible way Sensei's son.

The walk to Sasuke's house wasn't a long one from the Hokage tower, but Sasuke wanted to take his time in getting there. He wasn't like Kakashi in thinking about all of the fucked up things that was wrong with this entire situation, but he couldn't deny that he was bothered by some of the stuff, primarily Kotetsu's death. If they had just taken care of the situation before it grew to what it did, then none of this would have happened. Sasuke had to wonder what the hell made him think it was okay to believe in a prostitute?

Finally, he arrived at his home but he found that the door was locked even when he remembered he had left it unlocked before he left.  _Sakura must have stopped by_. It was annoying to have to fetch the keys so he just gently 'broke' the knob and entered, leaving it on the dresser stand right by the entrance door.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke repressed the urge to roll his eyes. Who the hell else could it be? "Yeah."

"Hmm…you broke another door knob."

Sasuke shouldn't have been surprised, yet he was. He walked to the right of the small corridor and into the living room where he saw his brother sitting on the couch…apparently knitting. "Itachi, what the hell are you doing?"

"Hm?" Itachi paused in his knitting to look up at Sasuke and smile but then quickly resumed as if nothing were out of the ordinary. "Clearly Sasuke, I'm knitting."

"I can see that! I mean…why? Since when?"

Itachi shrugged. "I don't know when but as for the why, it's fun. I've made myself some socks and thought I should make some for you too."

Sasuke's eyes began twitching, but even the stoic man that he was couldn't completely stop the little laugh he had brewing in his throat. "I think I'm good, thanks."

"On the contrary, my little brother, but you already turn a sickly blue when the temperature hits 65 degrees…this is best." Itachi smiled again as he saw the embarrassing blush adorn his little brother's cheeks. Sasuke held no retort against that little known fact.

Feeling a little thirsty, Sasuke made his way towards the kitchen to fetch some water and despite the jerk's earlier comment, he felt nice enough to bring him one too. "Hey, where's that idiot?"

"Sasuke," Itachi warned. "Shima didn't come because Sakura did."

"Oh?" He responded uncaringly. Sasuke felt his brother's stare on him but he chose to ignore it. "What did she want?"

"To talk about the wedding plans. She said she saw a wedding dress that is exactly to her liking."

"The wedding isn't until next year," Sasuke groaned. He  _hated_  this type of stuff.

"Which isn't as much time as you think. In fact, it's very little time…"

Again, the awkward pause. Strangely enough, the water began tasting stale. "I said I'll do it," he murmured.

"Which is what worries me."

Sasuke abruptly stood from his chair and grabbed for his glass of water to take back to the kitchen. "I guess I'll be needing those socks much sooner. I'm gonna go take a shower." He left before Itachi could say anything else.

**Back to the Third Hokage:**

The Third himself arrived at his home where Konohamaru was waiting for him. The young boy held a saddened expression as he ran towards his grandfather and hugged him. "I heard what happened," he mumbled through the Third's shirt.

With a quiet sigh, the Third nodded and laced his fingers through his grandson's hair. "Yes, it was tragic indeed. We will pay a visit to Kotetsu's family tomorrow."

"Do you need anything?"

The Third was about to say 'no' when he paused to think about the all of the events that had occurred. "Konohamaru, why did you lie to Tsunade about the man?"

There was no need to turn to know that a dark blush was already blooming on Konohamaru's face. "Whaa-? I don't know what's you're talking about, I didn't lie."

"Konohamaru, why did you lie?" He asked again.

Konohamaru stuttered and blushed as his heart quickened at unhealthy speeds; he felt as if he were to be in serious trouble if he were to tell the truth. But his grandfather had already asked twice, which meant that he probably already knew either about the lying, why he was lying, or both.

"I-I don't…know, Grandpa. I just didn't want him to be in trouble."

"I see…" With that, the Third walked up the stairs to his bedroom and closed his door to disallow anyone from coming in. Konohamaru was left terrified and confused about the whole situation which now left him wondering what was going to happen next. He knew deep down, this was nowhere from over and the selfish part of him was glad—he really wanted to see Tetsu again.


	11. Naruto or Menma?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> What's up?! I'm super happy I could get this chapter out quick and I really enjoyed writing it so I hope you enjoy it too.
> 
> First song of the shuffle is Lucius- Go Home. I highly, highly recommend watching their music video for this song because it is so cute and creative but also, the feels man! Great uplifting/depressive song (depending on your mood) and I think you will also enjoy the group themselves; they are wonderful singers who hit harmonies like no other.
> 
> Last chapter we meet Itachi (YAY!) and get a little different insight than usual. *Sad face about Tsunade* Anyway, please read this chapter and tell me what you think in a review! We meet some more new people! =]
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

_He knew deep down, this was nowhere from over and the selfish part of him was glad—he really wanted to see Tetsu again._

"Welcome, Master!" Six women—three on each side—lined up on either side of Tetsu when he walked in into the establishment. From what Tetsu could gather from the rumors, this was the best place in town, and coming inside, no one was kidding about that fact.

The building was obviously older than most, but the vivid colors of reds, yellows, and blacks displayed a youthful appearance. There were orchids of various colors planted all throughout, vines delicately wrapped around the rails and banisters by the steps, and best of all, the powerful smell of foods. Tetsu was familiarized in these sort of settings, but he never felt too old to appreciate it nonetheless.

One of the women that greeted him approached him and took his coat while another reached for his hand and lead him to a nearby table. The rest of the women disbursed to resume their previous duties, attending to other 'Masters'.

"What meal would Master like today?" The woman who took his hand asked. She was a small thing with large brown eyes. Tetsu definitely appreciated them especially since they were surrounded by pale, white skin, skin that reminded him too much of someone else.

"What is a common local dish?"

"That would be our ramen dish with beef, Master."

"Then I would like that, please."

"With naruto or menma?"

"I'm sorry?"

"…Would you like fishcake or bamboo shoots added to your meal?"

"Ah, yes, please add the…naruto."

"Of course, Master."

The young woman left with a bow, leaving Tetsu to his own thoughts. He replayed their short conversation in his head and thought how strange the food sounded. Food of the Fire nation sounded much different from the various foods he's had in the past, and what the hell was ramen? He hadn't wanted to ask since that would have made her suspicious—women were very well known for gossiping, and if he were correct, incase those Konoha shinobi were looking for him, he needed to really lay low. It had been three days since his escape from the village and so far, he hadn't had any encounter of them. He changed his name, hid in populated places like this one to disguise his scent, and spoke to very few people to keep a low profile.

Unfortunately, he still wasn't too far from the village; he was currently in Shikashima*, a town very well known for their food festivals and beautiful women. Just reminding himself of the terrible trouble he was in just a short while ago sent ugly shivers coursing down his spine, however, they were short lived when Tetsu's brain envisioned the masked guy standing close by with his arms crossed. It almost made Tetsu slam his fist in frustration against the table, but instead, he settled for cursing under his breath. Why does he consistently think of that man?! Luckily his food arrived before his mind could find a concluding answer. Tetsu eyed the unique dish and was immediately hypnotized by the smell; it was strong but not suffocating. It was a fairly large bowl filled nearly to the brim with a dark soy sauced-based soup, two large halves of hard-boiled eggs pushed to the side, slices of beef lined up at the other half of the bowl, a softened sheet of seaweed dangling by the eggs, doused noodles perfectly piled in the center, and a single piece of parsley with an adorable white flake that had a pink swirl.  _Is this a naruto?_

Tetsu paralyzed his sense of smell once more before diving in. This…there was just no describing how delectable this was. Never had he ever tasted something so divine in his life! There were so many characteristics to the meal than simply what he noted of the surface that it felt like it was an unjustified description. Much too quickly, Tetsu finished his meal and left the payment on the table (with a tip of course) for the little lady that had served him. Where did the money come from? It's better to just say that he was headed to the bathroom and 'roughly' bumped into a couple gentlemen and his hand just 'happened' to end up under their shirts where their wallets were located….

The day was almost over by the time Tetsu exited the restaurant. He wondered if it were wise to travel all through the night or just stay at an inn and then travel in the morning. Both options weren't that appealing but compared to being exhausted from walking, Tetsu thought it was just smarter to stay for the night at an inn. That was until he turned around and face planted into a brick-like exterior.

"God! What the fuck?!" Tetsu screeched as he clutched his nose.

"So…how was the meal?"

With one eye open, Tetsu looked up at who had spoken to him and instantly paled at the sight.  _Fuck_. It was the man he had robbed of his wallet at the bathroom. He was a tall mother fucker with wild, long white hair that trailed all the way down to his back, he wore thick clothing—fitting for a shinobi—that honestly made him look chubbier than he was, but Tetsu was smart enough to notice the man's slim cheek bones, neck, arms, and legs to conclude that he wasn't actually chubby. The headband he wore aligned with the tops of his eye brows, which if anything, made the man look scarier than he really was. Tetsu realized that he still hadn't responded, so he felt it was wiser to just remain quiet and test whether he was about to die or not.

The man misread the silence and frowned, making him look much older and scarier. "Did you already spend all of it?"

"What? N-No, I swear, I only spent it on—"  _What the hell was it called again?!_  "Ramen! Yeah, on some ramen!"

"Hmm, then can I have my wallet back?"

"Uh, sure…" Tetsu slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out the man's wallet, chucking it into the awaiting hand that was sticking out.

The man verified that very little money was spent and smiled to show he was no longer angry. "You know, it's not right to steal, especially if it's just to buy some ramen."

"Shouldn't walk around with that much money" he mumbled.

The man wanted to reply but another voice interrupted their conversation. "Jiraiya, what are you doing?"

Both Tetsu and the man—now known as Jiraiya—turned to see a very pale man (ghostly pale!) with long black hair that also reached down his back, some simplistic beige clothing draped over black, and narrow eyes highlighted with some faint purple face paint. Given a wrong glance, anyone could easily confuse him for a beautiful woman. The new man's eyes unnerved Tetsu greatly; they didn't appear human.

"Orochimaru! See, I told you, this is the guy that stole mine and that other guy's wallet at the bathroom."

Orochimaru stepped closer to the duo and looked down at the young man crouched at the ground. His yellow eyes gave a long once over at the tan skin hidden underneath his light blue yukata, which didn't go unnoticed by either Jiraiya or Tetsu.

"I see, so what do you plan on doing with him?"

Jiraiya shrugged and extended his hand out to Tetsu to help him off the ground. "Sonovabitch already ate dinner! I say he should be forced to join us now."

"Wha—? What?!" Tetsu was shocked at the invitation and the gigantic grin plastered on the stranger's face. The pale one simply shook his head, as if this were a normal occurrence.

"This is Jiraiya's way of making a friend," Orochimaru explained. He sounded much too monotone for Tetsu to think he was in agreement to the whole thing.

"Better than yours! This guy just stares at people until they give in and have no choice." That little piece of information soothed Tetsu's uneasiness by a bit; so the guy just wanted to be his friend?  _Fucking creepy way to do it_. "So? You joining us?"

"I-I can't…I…have to go."

"None sense, the least you could do is keep us company! What with stealing my money and all."

"I…suppose?" Tetsu was absolutely baffled.

"Great, now let's get going!"

Jiraiya lead the way and Orochimaru quickly followed suit; Tetsu thought about bolting but both men were eyeing him very carefully so that thought had to fly out the window. Reluctantly, Tetsu followed the men into another restaurant that was just as nice as the one he visited before. And like before, there were waitresses waiting on them hand and foot, calling them masters, and serving amazing delicacies. Although Tetsu's guard never lowered, he had to admit that he was enjoying himself, even if just a little. It was the very first time he surrounded himself with people and it wasn't for profit or gains or deals. He did find the older gentlemen attractive, but those thoughts didn't go beyond that. For that, he was personally glad.

"So, Tetsu you said your name was?" Jiraiya questioned with a mouth full of food. "Odd name."

"As if 'Jiraiya' is any better," Orochimaru chided. The joke earned him a glare.

"So Tetsu, where are you from?"

Tetsu avoided a frown from forming on his face. He couldn't give the same explanation that he had before so he resorted to his second best answer. "Some orphanage in the middle of nowhere. I've been a nomad since young."

"You must have visited a lot of places," Orochimaru said as he reached for his glass of wine. His eyes gleamed as he stared at Tetsu over the rim of his glass.

"Yeah…"

"Makes sense, now I know why you stole my wallet. I'mma tell you now, young man, living this lifestyle isn't the answer. You're a good young guy, you can find better ways to make money." Jiraiya nodded fiercely the whole time he gave his little speech, feeling proud of himself for sounding so mature.

He didn't seem to notice the faint blush that decorated Tetsu's cheeks, but Orochimaru did, which made a smile crack through his pale features. "Or maybe you already have…"

Both men stared at Tetsu but Tetsu didn't stare back. He kept his eyes on his plate, fiddling with some pieces of salad that oddly seemed interesting at the moment. "Whoa," Jiraiya breathed. "That's illegal in these parts—"

"I know," Tetsu snapped, suddenly providing an icy glare at the men. This was much too dangerous! He barely knew these men and yet they could already read him as easily as a book. He couldn't even deny anything they were that perceptive.

There was a horrible awkward silence that hung around the table as they continued feasting on their meals. Tetsu bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to taste a small pool of copper.

_Another means of escape_

ONLY if need be. We can't make the first move. A grumble resounded inside of Tetsu's head as a form of agreement to the plan. Not to say that it was the best one, but it was wiser than just flipping the table and attacking, not if he doesn't know what they are going to do next.

"I'll be back, I gotta use the restroom," Jiraiya said. Tetsu panicked for two reasons: one, he'd be left alone with Orochimaru and despite the man not having  _done_  anything, Tetsu didn't want to be alone under his freaky-ass gaze, and two, the bathroom excuse could just be a lie for Jiraiya to send a message to the authorities now that they knew his secret.

Orochimaru noticed the young man's fearful expression and gave him a wide grin as a response. "Don't worry, he's not going to tattle. He's the last guy to do so; before he got married, he indulged in many illegal acts that could still get him imprisoned if anyone were to find out."

"O-Oh." Tetsu wasn't sure if he could just believe him.

"Out of curiosity," the man continued. "How much would you charge?"

Tetsu felt his stomach drop and his throat thickening. A small but noticeable headache began forming from what felt like the very center of his brain. This was nothing new to Tetsu—he was asked this question a lot in his career, plus he's involved himself with numerous characters that some, he could admit, should never have been allowed to reveal their face outside—but this man didn't sit all too well with him. The manner in which he looked at Tetsu, as if he were an actual meal he could eat, actually frightened Tetsu, and that was rare.

"I'm sorry, I can't say. That wouldn't be appropriate."

"Not even when I'm offering?"

"That…still wouldn't be appropriate. I can't sleep with you."

"That's a pity. Then just to appease me, what would have been your number had you accepted?"

Tetsu merely stared at the man, trying to get a read on him but nothing was conclusive. The beast, who earlier agreed that he was ready to attack if need be, suddenly was of no help and simply gruffed, murmuring that his paranoia and lack of answering would be deemed more suspicious than if he were to tell the truth. Tetsu didn't want to admit that he sounded kind of right.  _Stupid fox…_

"When I was green, I asked for 375 ryō per hour but now it's 1,001 ryō* per hour."

Orochimaru's smile widened even more at Tetsu's answer but he couldn't completely enjoy the moment since Jiraiya had come back. "Whew, long line! What are you guys talking about?"

"The food. It's very good." Orochimaru never lost eye contact with Tetsu as he replied to Jiraiya. For some reason, Tetsu believed that Orochimaru wasn't talking about the food.

After another half hour, the men decided that they had enough food in their system to last them for days. Tetsu had now wondered how he could use this chance to leave and finally escape Orochimaru's gaze, but all the gods in the universe wanted to punish Tetsu for his sins; "Hey Tetsu, why don't you stay at the inn with us?"

"No, that's okay, really!" Tetsu desperately tried.

Jiraiya had a softened look to him accompanied by a small smile. Orochimaru wasn't too far away but Jiraiya spoke low enough to keep him out of ear shot. "Look, I don't know you, so I know this all looks weird, but…I want you to accept. You look like a nice kid, a good kid, and I want to offer you a warm bed. At least just once." But Jiraiya heard how odd that sounded and blushed like a teenage boy. "No! That's not how I meant it!"

Even Tetsu couldn't resist and chuckled at the humorous old man. "I know what you meant, but I still can't accept. Somehow you were kind enough to treat me to dinner, and I thank you, but I don't want any more of your kindness. This sounds cliché, but I don't want nor need your pity."

Jiraiya's eye brows furrowed as he considered Tetsu's words. The last thing he wanted to be was offensive but he still wanted to lend a helping hand. Something about this kid pulled at him in a way that felt new and exciting, yet familiar. "As cliché as it sounds, I'm not pitying you. I just want…to help. Please? Just one night. We're leaving in the morning anyway after breakfast. You're more than welcome to leave without even saying good bye."

The old man sounded cute trying to beg for something so miniscule. Tetsu was still unsure about the other guy, but if he obliged, then he could just sneak out and never see either party ever again, plus, he'd get a place to stay for the night. "Al…right, but I'll pay for my room. I still have the other guy's wallet."

At this, Jiraiya laughed heartedly, even though he felt a little bad for the victim that was now broke. All three men headed to an inn and just like Tetsu promised, he paid for his own room that was located a floor below the other two; it was easier for when he'd have to leave to just race out the door and never worry again. Tetsu didn't mention his room number or say anything other than good night and thank you before going the long way and eventually reaching his room. He quickly locked the door, pulled the curtains, shed his clothes, and jumped into the bath* to wash all of the days' worth of grime that built up since his escape. The boiling hot water almost burned his skin, but he paid it no heed since he enjoyed it anyway. The shower was quick itself and Tetsu would have wanted to enjoy the luxury of it more but he didn't feel completely at ease to do so. He grabbed the nearest towel and rubbed himself completely dry.

 _Leaving now is probably the best option._  Tetsu just had to get dressed, but he suddenly felt so tired and he desperately wanted to use that bed in the other room to sleep. But shit was much too risky and he spent too much time here enough as it is! The internal argument sparked another little headache so Tetsu took a deep breath and dressed himself to get ready to leave. Upon opening the door, Tetsu realized that he closed everything but left the room completely black, making it impossible to see.

"Stupid lamp, can't see," he muttered under his breath. Using his instincts and common sense to find where everything was, Tetsu walked across the room to find some lighting, but before he could do so, the room was dimly illuminated by a lantern.

There, sitting on the bed he so greatly wanted to sleep in with a smirk that terrified the ever-living shit out of him, was Orochimaru.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG, this chapter was so much fun to write!
> 
> Anyway, *Shikashima: I didn't want to use a real town from the Naruto-verse, so I made this town up
> 
> * Ryō: Before the yen, Japan had the ryō system (gold coins) and compared to the $US, every 0.75 ryō equaled 1 US dollar.
> 
> So 375 ryō = $500 and 1,001.25 ryō = $1335 (I just didn't want to add the change)
> 
> Thanks everyone and enjoy. Please Review, greatly appreciate it!


	12. Beware of What You Wish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> On a quick note, I sincerely apologize for this late update; there were some back-to-back issues that needed to be settled and I 100% neglected this story which saddens me since I do love it dearly. This might not be the greatest chapter and I certainly could have added more elements but I wanted to finally give something since it's been so long already. With that said, I'm very sorry!
> 
> First song of the shuffle is MS MR- Twenty Seven. MS MR are amazing to begin with and this song in one example; the piano is amazing and the message of the song is just as great, bitter, and startling. Please give it a listen and enjoy!
> 
> Last chapter, we get a little bit worried because we meet Jiraiya and Orochimaru, one of them having a very creepy personality. For this chapter, I must give warning because it's basically another sex chapter. Hope you enjoy, please review. Thanks!
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

_There, sitting on the bed he so greatly wanted to sleep in with a smirk that terrified the ever-living shit out of him, was Orochimaru._

"I apologize, did I startle you?"

Tetsu felt paralyzed under the man's gaze. He should have known that he wasn't a normal being; Tetsu couldn't feel his presence at all within the room, neither could he get a scent.  _Just what is this guy?_

"….What do you want?" He forced out. His throat was thick with vexed emotions.

The smirk upon Orochimaru's face widened considerably, revealing his pearl-white teeth. "I hate to negate the main reason for my being here so I'll just get straight to the point; I wish for you to change for mind."

"On?"

"My offering."

"I told you I w—"

"Yes and I heard you the first time, hence why I am here to ask of you to change it."

The pompous manner in which he said it made Tetsu's blood boil. "W-Who do you think you are?!You think that because I'm a slut I'm just desperate for anything?"

"Are you not trained to yearn for desperation? Have you not trained your body to withstand any impact, no matter the cost, until you obtain the end result? You seem to have forgotten, you were the one to choose for your purpose to be  _used_."

"!" A small but dull ringing began taking root in Tetsu's ears and the pain of it brought forth a surge of déjà vu. It wasn't verbatim, but the words and phrases sounded too familiar. Tetsu wanted to shout in frustration but again, his throat was too useless to function.

"I wouldn't recommend on making such a ruckus; despite that the majority of people around here being drunk, they're coherent enough to respond to a distress call. I wouldn't want them to misunderstand this situation…"

"Wouldn't it be the other way around?" Tetsu growled. "It's clear  _you're_  the predator." A surprisingly loud but velvety laugh pierced the air of the room. Whatever was so funny, it was amusing enough to have Orochimaru clutch his stomach. "What the hell is so funny?!"

Orochimaru quieted down covering is mouth as if trying to tamper down any more laughs from escaping. "Ah, do forgive me, I didn't mean to be so incredibly rude. But what I find so funny is what you seem to think is going on here. I must ask you, why do you think Jiraiya and I are here?"

Tetsu wasn't sure how to interpret the question or how to answer. What was he trying to tell him? Orochimaru could sense Tetsu's confusion which all the more added to his personal amusement.

"I told you before, didn't I? He would never tattle on you to the authorities due to his own past. Not to mention, he's faithfully married now so he no longer indulges in any kind of illegal acts."

"I-I'm still not understanding…," Tetsu reluctantly admitted.

" _He_  no longer indulges, but he never hesitates to help out a friend."

"T-That's a lie! Why would he lecture me or-or offer me this room if he's into that stuff?!"

"Kindness does not mean lack of ill intention," Orochimaru vocalized softly, forcing his sharp but velveteen voice to strike at Tetsu. "You are a rarity in your own right; prostitution is illegal, yet we make exceptions with women; take Shikashima, for example, a lovely town full of life, lights…and women. There is no doubt that many of the women here are selling themselves for a heavy price but if they were to discover you are in the same profession? Then most definitely, you would be arrested. Why is that? Why must a beautiful creature such as yourself be condemned unlike your female peers?

No matter how you look at it, the silhouette of a man must never be seen intertwining with another of his kind. Jiraiya knows this better than most and also knows of my…preferences. Knowing this, he still asked you to stay."

Perhaps it was his voice or maybe it was his gleaming yellow eyes, but Tetsu couldn't sense a lie from him. Tetsu couldn't feel any awkward trembling in his speech, any twitches or hesitations in his mannerisms, nothing. It scared him tremendously that that was the case. More than anything, he felt ashamed of himself for believing that genuine people were alive in this world. Jiraiya was a kind man, Tetsu was sure, but he was still a man: a flawed, emotional, gluttonous, human man. Why wouldn't such a man push for his friend to enjoy the single pleasures, perhaps even on his behalf? While Tetsu mentally worked on his battered thoughts, Orochimaru took advantage and snaked a pale hand up Tetsu's clothed thigh.

"O-Oi!" Despite Tetsu verbally resisting, he remained where he stood, not moving an inch forward or back. He felt a familiar tingle lightly dance under his skin. For anyone else, it would have been easy to ignore, for it wasn't a powerful throb, but he didn't have that luxury since his mind was structured differently. The feel of another, even if it were just in the form of a handshake, always equated to the sharing of warmth. Just imagining that heat being spread all throughout in the form of sweat and labored breathing always gave Tetsu the imagery of skin-ship.

So it was obvious why he couldn't physically reject Orochimaru's touches. Like Orochimaru mentioned before, he was trained to be desperate, to desire that warmth all the time, anytime, with anyone who could provide it. Orochimaru spread his palm open, pressing the warmth down onto the thigh so he could then move it upwards. Tiny spasms coursed through Tetsu's body like hands of a spirit caressing his skin.  _Damn you, Kurama! Where the hell are you?!_  But again, he was only answered with silence. Before he could question what was going on with the fox any further, Orochimaru caught Tetsu's wrist and pulled him down on the bed. It was instinctual on Tetsu's part to struggle but in actuality, he was thrilled at the crassness. He hadn't meant to be, but his body perceived this act of ill-fate as anticipation.

Now with Orochimaru on top of him, Tetsu realized that he wasn't being pinned down by hands…but by snakes. Two cold and slimy creatures were curled possessively around his wrists with their heads slowly bobbing up and down, as if they were dancing to some unheard of tune. They were tantalized by the slow and deliberate movements of their master. It was as if Orochimaru believed he had an infinite amount of time at his side; there was no rush or hastiness in his actions as he disrobed his upper half. The tingle began growing into tremors which seemed to turn Tetsu's mind into a warzone. He wanted to feel disgusted but Orochimaru wasn't some obese, careless slob; he was a person worshipped by sentient beings who've thrived on fear and vulnerability. Yes, it was accurate in describing him as a lethal existence with the ability to lure in anyone he so chooses.

He slipped his robe off of his shoulders, revealing his pale skin to Tetsu. The snakes above him hissed in envy—Tetsu could sense their ire due to their master sharing attention with some nobody—but there was also appreciation for the flesh. Orochimaru's long black hair resembled black silk, shiny and long, curling into the dents of his collar bone and licking the skin of his shoulder and neck. It made it easy to follow the strands of hair down to his chest, an area as white as heaven could be imagined, but surprisingly, not small as Tetsu had predicted. His chest was definitely slimmer than Jiraiya's but there was an expanse amount of skin that elicited heavy desire to explore. It made the two pebbled nipples all the more noticeable since they were (very lightly) flushed with color and hardened with arousal. He had the most perfectly sculpted abs, but many, if not all, shinobi were blessed with athletic frames. His skin was so tight, the V-shaped curve of his body was prominent, almost like a purposeful set of directions indicating to continue south.

Tetsu selfishly desired to see more even though he never wanted this in the first place. He couldn't physically deny the beauty of this man; it was arguably rare, fierce and delicate all at once. There was no helping it, Tetsu couldn't leave this room without giving in, not to someone if this caliber. "A-Am I—" He had to pause. Without him even realizing, his mouth had dried up completely, leaving not an ounce of saliva to spare. "Am I on top…?"

Another sultry laugh. "A position you've become too accustomed to. I shall return you to your place."

Tetsu wanted to rebut but the repositioning of limbs—Orochimaru shifting one knee after the other under Tetsu's thighs—made him reconsider. The feel of something incredibly hard pressed harshly against the lining of Tetsu's ass made a tremor surge through every vein and artery in his body. A startled gasp came through Tetsu's lips as response and Orochimaru couldn't have been anymore pleased. It had been a while since Tetsu bottomed for another male; surprisingly, many men (typically shinobi) were strong soldiers that preferred to be dominated, submissive, or controlled. It was part of the job and Tetsu wasn't complaining, he was getting sex no matter the outcome, but to return to this position, it spoke many volumes. It wasn't just the physical preparation of it; it was the nature of receiving  _everything_  that came along with this position. The top performer called the shots, the one who decided whether he would embed his emotion, physical strength, or both. The receiver's pleasure always depended on those factors, which was a scary thing to realize if one really thought about it.

Orochimaru slowly ran his hands up Tetsu's thigh, having them hunt for the top where the ties were tied. Never once did either man lose eye contact with one another, not even when those long fingers loosened the ties and pulled the fabric loose. The snakes practically sounded as if they were purring in delight, whether at their master's ministrations or Tetsu's position, it was uncertain. As one hand worked on the pants, the other masterfully worked its way up under Tetsu's shirt, feeling his muscles and flesh of his abdomen with controlled enthusiasm. His hand was cold but it meshed well with Tetsu's overheated skin. It reached his right nipple, lightly grazing over it, teasing it on a torturous level. Another gasp. His fingers press a little harder, rolling the little nub against the smooth texture of his hand, enjoying the sprinkle of color growing on Tetsu's face. His hand then ventured to the left to do the same, creating great reaction from the young man. The hand play stopped when Orochimaru finally managed to sneak his other hand down the pesky trousers, having managed to pulled it down mid-thigh.

His left hand started like his right, a cold touch that quelled the uncomfortable heat brewing down below. Tetsu could tell this man was experienced in his craft, for he easily grabbed his member and stroked it while simultaneously grinding him from behind. The sensations were overwhelming, different, but familiar all around, and that was enough to place Tetsu in a lust-filled haze. But despite his views being blurred by lust, Tetsu could still see the smug look on the prick's face, the long tongue darting out to lick his drying lips, and the small air of breath panting out from him. The two were enjoying this battle but Tetsu could tell Orochimaru had more in store for him, and right he was.

The two hands stopped their ministrations, having Tetsu confused and whimper some pathetic sound for more. Red began to color his features once again; he felt ashamed that he called out for more, not that it mattered to Orochimaru, who found the reaction to be pleasing. "Kuku, patience, Tetsu-kun. You'll enjoy this." Orochimaru leaned forward to grab the two snakes by their heads and pull them forward until they reached halfway above Tetsu's chest; their bodies felt similar to Orochimaru's hands as they swayed back and forth above his clothed chest. Tetsu wondered what Orochimaru could possibly be planning and the numerous thoughts unnerved him. Then, without any warning, Orochimaru ripped Tetsu's shirt in two, destroying the fabric and allowing it to fall to the sides with little care.

"Wha—"

Orochimaru grabbed the snakes and quickly latched them onto Tetsu's nipples. The act was perplexing and terrifying but the snakes seemed to have understood the unspoken commands of their master. Two slim (and surprisingly hot) tongues wrapped around each nipple and sucked with vigor. The surprise and shock was enough to have Tetsu tremble in fear and delicious delight; he desperately wanted to come, his body was singing too much to stay coherent.

"Not done," Orochimaru said softly. From where, Tetsu hadn't the faintest idea, but two more snaked emerged from behind Orochimaru, larger than the first two, and slithered their way over to Tetsu's thighs. The two at his nipples were much too skillful in their art to have Tetsu continue questioning what was going to happen next. Tetsu felt his pants being completely pulled off and cast off to whatever dark corner of the room, which gave Orochimaru clear access to the area that he wanted. A mewling sound came through Tetsu's lips, but by this point, he neither cared nor bothered to be embarrassed. "Go on, Mamushi, ready him for me."

The dialogue hadn't been completely processed through Tetsu's brain, so he didn't understand what Orochimaru was saying or referring to…until he felt the incredible pressure at his backside. Mamushi was one of the larger snakes and as instructed, he used his own slim tongue to pierce the tight opening of the young man. However, Mamushi was as creative as he was raised and intermingled the very end of his own tail with his tongue to entice the opening to stretch. Meanwhile, Tetsu was moaning and gasping at a wild rate, unable to comprehend just what the hell was going on anymore! There was a slight lining of pain but that came with the territory of this nature, but the pleasure…there were no words to describe the immeasurable ecstasy that he felt. It was suffocating, everywhere, staggering…

It could have only been seconds or minutes, but for Tetsu, it was the lengthiest amount of time he had ever spent being on the verge of  _not_  coming even though he should have at any point. The sounds coming from him was all anyone needed as confirmation that if he didn't release soon, he was going to die. Mamushi diligently continued his powerful pace until Orochimaru patted him on the head and whispered something akin to praise. " _Very good Mamushi, now gratify him while Hibakari continues_."

Hibakari had to have been the second large snake; Mamushi did as he was told and used his adroit tongue to tease and pleasure the skin of Tetsu's member. Then the unthinkable occurred; Hibakari stretched his mouth wide open, as if he were going to devour a challenging meal, and engulfed Tetsu's member down to the very base. The air in his lungs stilled, his eyes widened with faint tears bordering up the edges, and his mouth agape as he tried to process what to even think or say.

" _Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!_ " He chanted in a mantra-like manner. " _Wait, oh God, st—!"_

"You will not be harmed, Tetsu-kun. Let it happen."

Hibakari began bobbing his head, tightening his throat in a devilish manner that made everything seem endless. The two smaller snakes tightened their hold on Tetsu's nipples while Mamushi kept his tongue busy with different erogenous zones. There was too much going on, he was going to come, yet he wasn't! It wasn't that it wasn't enough, but it was as if he  _couldn't_. Was Orochimaru doing this? Tetsu opened his tightly constricted eyes, not even realizing when he has closed them, and forced himself to look at Orochimaru. The man was now covered in a light cover of sweat, his shorter strands of hair stuck to his neck and forehead, and a smug grin plastered on his face as if he's won something—the prick. With so many sensations going about, Tetsu wasn't expecting for Orochimaru to lean forward with both arms at either side of his face. The expression didn't change, but Tetsu's sure did by ten-fold; Mamushi's preparations earlier were done perfectly to accommodate whatever beast Orochimaru had been hiding this whole time. It wasn't painful when it penetrated the rings of his entrance, it had smoothly slid in, taking its time but forcing Tetsu's body to acknowledge it was there. Drool had already begun streaming out of the corner of Tetsu's mouth, his eyes half-lidded and glazed, a dark-red hue throughout his face; he really felt as if he were going to die. Why had he resisted this man earlier? Why had he never experienced such  _pleasure_  before until now…?

There was a pause once Orochimaru was completely sheathed in. Everything had stilled for a moment. And then without warning or a care in the world, Orochimaru began his assault with all of his snakes at his flanks. Tetsu could hear himself screaming and panting, bewildered that it was actually him making such sounds, but impressed that he could. The sound of skin smacking against skin danced at the same level of Tetsu's screams, which only turned him on the more. Tetsu desperately wanted to claw his hands down Orochimaru's arms and back but the stupid snakes still restricted him from doing so, so he was left with only  _letting it happen_. Orochimaru was ruthless in his assault, yet he used very little obtuse moves while gaining such a wild reaction from Tetsu. Even when he straightened his position to simply hold onto Tetsu's hips, he used very little energy and aimed straight for the magic spot. How the man knew where to hit and move was beyond Tetsu's comprehension, but he was in no place to care.

" _Fuck, God-damn it! Yes…yes…YES! Right there!"_  He moaned and writhed and screamed, loving every minute of the ordeal. A small part of his consciousness knew he'd regret this later but he felt good,  _so good_. His prostrate was being shot over and over again, he seriously was about to finally come but Hibakari still had his mouth around his member. "G-Gonna come soon," he said breathlessly.

"Just let it happen," was all the reply he heard. Orochimaru slammed into at a faster pace, now reverting back to his previous position, but this time, threading his fingers through Tetsu's damp hair, clutching the strands tightly so he could go harder. It forced harsher screams to rebound around the room—neighbors be damned. Orochimaru grabbed one of Tetsu's legs to throw over his shoulder and pound at him like an uncaged animal. He still held his grace and allure despite the muckiness of the room and the odor conceived from the two; his yellow eyes were mere slits narrowed from concentration and desire. In the midst of their escalation to climax, Orochimaru slithered his tongue out to meet the skin of Tetsu's knee, enjoying the heat and perspiration that collected there. Tetsu watched him with hungry eyes, waiting to see what he'd do next, and of course, Orochimaru delivered; he curled his lip up to demonstrate the ferocity of his teeth, only to sink them into Tetsu's knee, bathing them with a splash of red that streamed down his legs and onto his stomach.

The pain of it had Tetsu wincing but he was too drugged from desire to demand an explanation; on the contrary, the pain was just the perfect edge that both men needed to end this bodily war. Orochimaru aimed harder, probably hoping to tear Tetsu from the inside out and Tetsu squeezed with fevor, hoping to milk Orochimaru dry. Neither knew who came first, it was too much of  _haa's_  and  _shit's_  to determine, but the whole bed was shaking, numerously hitting against the wall. Tetsu immediately felt hot come burn him from the inside as Hibakari writhed from his position and swallowed every white drop that spewed from Tetsu's member. Orochimaru hadn't stopped his motions, however, trying to rid himself of the tremors that now plagued his body, but that only served to cause a second wave of euphoria to pass through the both of them.

" _Oh God,_ " Tetsu gasped, now with tears running down. " _I'm coming again!"_

Surely enough, Hibakari swallowed a second time, granted, a more shallow sample. Orochimaru grunted through his teeth and finally slowed down, lowering his head onto the pillow. Tetsu was still attempting to catch his breath even with Orochimaru sprawled on top of him; he felt so sleepy and wanted to close his eyes, to leave with this memory and never wake up. For a couple more seconds, he thought about all that he could, how he came to be in the position he was in right now and how he really felt about it. Some things weren't adding up, while others just seemed to take up unnecessary space. He wanted to sort it out before things got even more confusing and annoying, but as he wished it, so it happened—sleep cascaded itself upon his eyes, forcing them to shut so he could drift off to sleep.  _Is this how I died…?_  Was the onlu thought he could think of before he played victim to slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My depiction of Orochimaru was inspired by Eldanis' picture on Deviantart; [ art / Orochimaru – commission – 75673309]; please check it out because it's beautiful and awesome =]
> 
> Sorry again about the SUPER late update, hope you forgive me and please enjoy this chapter. Please review, I greatly appreciate it!


	13. The Devil's Scent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> What's up guys! I'm sorry for the late update but my familia grabbed my ass and threw me in Dominican Republic to stay for 8 days with them. I had wanted to finish a chapter before then but there was just no time =[ But here I am with a new one ready to read!
> 
> First song of the shuffle is none other than Gabrielle Aplin ft. Bastille in the song Dreams. Holy horse puppies, this song is absolutely, positively awesome sauce! It sounds like smelling a book for the first time! Please give it a listen, totally worth the 4 minutes and 21 seconds.
> 
> Anyway, I'm glad people like last chapter, in a way, the scene was kind of unexpected even to me especially since I never thought of Orochimaru that way, but now that I have…=]
> 
> Yeah, so this chapter has even more newcomers yay! Hope you enjoy, please review and tell me what you think, I read everything and greatly appreciate it!
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

' _Is this how I died…?' Was the only thought he could think of before he played victim to slumber._

It was much too cliché to point out, considering it was a funeral and all, but the harsh, cold rain that pelted everyone from all sides was an irritating but appropriate setting. Kotetsu's funeral was held the morning after his untimely death, mainly attended by his friends, immediate family, and the Hokage herself. Variations of white flowers were placed upon the casket, each one weighted with a prayer and wish. There was an uneasy tension lingering about in the air but not from the expected feelings of sorrow; too many people were weighing their heavy thoughts on their shoulders. Eerily enough, the funeral was much too silent and dark. The Saidaime and Konohamaru gave their few words of condolences, followed by other fellow shinobi and his wife. Tsunade was last and she gave a short, heart-felt speech, bowing in respect to Kotetsu's family right before quietly leaving to resume her duties at the office.

Leaving the funeral left Tsunade feeling guilty but all she could think about was the conversation she had with the Third. The last thing she wanted to feel was biased against her own judgment, but that conversation made her question her motives. It was even harder to root for her argument since Kotetsu was living—er…dead proof that maybe she was losing it. Her previous ' _Witch Huntings'_  as they were to delicately called, did cause some issues in the past and made the village citizens doubt whether or not she was fit to be Hokage. Was this just another disaster waiting to happen? A little angel on her right shoulder wrapped her tiny little arms around Tsunade's cheek and gave a beautiful smile.  _No, don't think like that. Follow your heart_. Tsunade wanted to smile in return and embrace that decision, but her left shoulder began feeling very heavy and painful. A little devil with a deep frown eroding itself into her tiny face shook her head.  _ **Follow your heart? A human can always change their heart, they can never change their mind. Think logically.**_

The angel suddenly looked as sad as Tsunade felt inside.  _Everything fits, it could possibly be him. What could be the harm?_

_**It won't be another Kotetsu to die. It will be a Sasuke, a Kakashi, a Jiraiya, a Konohamaru…THAT could be the harm!** _

Both the angel and Tsunade flinched. That never-ending black mist of fear that existed in the shinobi world was always thicker around leaders—she didn't want to make a decision that resulted in any more deaths. But the angel hadn't given up hope in this argument.  _If this person is strong enough to kill any of them then isn't that all the more reason to believe it's him?!_

This time it was the devil's turn to flinch. The frown on her face deepened as she stood silently to think of a retort but none came. The devil simply vanished into thin air, leaving Tsunade and the angel to bask in their victory for a few moments before the angel followed suit. It was odd to admit, but Tsunade felt better in knowing what to do next. She was deeply soaked from the rain but she had little care as she raced towards her office. Her steps viciously disturbed the puddles of the streets, coating her feet and ankles in mud, making each step unstable. Tsunade didn't care if anyone saw her or if she bumped into anyone along the way, she just wanted to get to her office. Upon reaching it, she immediately slammed the door behind her and locked it, trapping herself in the large dark room. The only sound was the sound of her heavy panting and the shy ticking coming from her wall clock. Her hazel-colored eyes peered around the room from corner to corner, adapting to the darkness.

Once her breathing was under control, Tsunade made her way towards her desk where she easily located a small golden pot of ink. With careful movements, Tsunade grasped the pot in the palm of her hand and moved it close enough towards her face to examine the black blood-looking substance.

"You can come out, I know you have been here the entire time," she whispered.

Except for the ticking, the room had remained quiet…until the ticking reached past forty seconds. The ink suddenly began quivering and bubbling over the edge of the pot, spilling over, cascading down onto Tsunade's palm. It dribbled all over her hand and arm, all the way down to the carpet, staining the already dark carpet with black splatters. The more that trickled down, the higher the ink was building up into a full-figured person. It finally morphed into a slim frame of about 5"9' in height with dangerously pale skin—almost grey—short dark waves of hair and two back orbs for eyes.

"Hokage-sama," the man said quietly. He kneeled onto one knee and lowered his chin to his chest.

"Sai, I wish to send you on a mission. A dangerous one."

Sai lifted his head to reveal his unnerving smile to Tsunade, a smile that pulled on his skin too tightly and always had her secretly fearing that he would tear the skin off his face. He then straightened himself to stand back on his two feet so he could speak at eye level. "I am a member of ROOT, Hokage-sama, all missions are dangerous."

"Don't get smart with me, kid," she growled. Sai tended to be difficult with his social naïveté but his loyalty was hard to come by. Many dedicated their lives for this nation, but Sai dedicated his life, body and soul, never asking for anything in return. "The assailant responsible for Kotetsu's death…"

"You wish for me to locate him?"

Tsunade wanted to smile for how smart he was but considering what the mission was the feeling dissipated. "Yes. I know this may seem like a simple task…but I fear it may be not. I have a disturbing feeling that that man may very well be the missing container of the Kyuubi."

Sai's facial expression revealed little change, so it was hard to determine what he thought of Tsunade's theory. "Hokage-sama, are you certain?"

Her hazel eyes blazed with determination, never faltering as she opened her lips to reply. "Yes, I am."

"Why?"

It was only a moment's hesitation, but Tsunade did have to pause to think of how to answer. How could she word herself without sounding so selfish? How could she justify this mission without making it seem as if she really is just doing this because of her lack of bearing children? Why was she so certain this man that she hadn't even gotten a glimpse of, was none other than the missing child of Minato and Kushina, the unwilling container of the Red Demon? Fact of the matter was that there was nothing to support her theory, at least not much, but she still wanted to go through with this; she had a gut feeling, a strong one at that. It was never an actual written rule, but it was always advocated that if someone truly felt strongly about something, then it was wise to pursuit it.

"I have a strong feeling. I  _know_  I'm not wrong this time."

Sai pulled his face into that tight smile but Tsunade could tell this time it was softer than before, which meant that slowly, but surely, he was learning. "Then I will find him." And with that, he disappeared in a swirl of ink, leaving Tsunade with an inkling (HA! Pun intended xD) of hope.

He travelled carefully through the rain, hoping to use as little chakra as he could before setting off onto his mission. Luckily, he didn't need much, but Sai wanted to pick up a few more tools from his home, especially for a mission of this magnitude. Just as he arrived at his apartment, a large black and white lion-hybrid appeared next to him. Another creepy smile graced Sai's lips as he dispelled the ink-creature, only to reveal a furious animal handicapped by strings tied around his limps.

"MMMMMMF!"

"Ah, Kiba-kun! You're looking well," Sai said cheerfully.

"MMMMM-MMMMFFF!"

"Yes, yes, this was very necessary this time. I was just assigned an important, classified mission."

"MMMFMMMFFF!"

"Of course I could do it alone but it would be extensive if I didn't seek out any assistance. See, this mission requires a search for someone."

" **MMMMMMMM!** "

"Because I need your nose, Kiba-kun. The person whom I'm searching for is none other than the infamous Kyuubi-jinchūriki…."

The muffling screams stopped immediately. The shinobi now identified as Kiba had his ordinarily black slit-like pupils blown wide in shock. Sai appraised his comrade to check for any further reaction and found it safe enough to untie the fellow. He wasn't surprised to find himself correct when he loosened the strings and the cloth around Kiba's mouth.

"A-Are you serious?" Was the first thing he said. Sai simply nodded in confirmation, warily eyeing every move Kiba made. Instantly, Kiba's face contorted into that of rage, his brown face turning a nasty shade of purple and red before he exploded. "What the fuck?! You couldn't just get me like a normal person, you had to get that fucking beast to eat me?! I was in the shower, you ass!  **AND**  you upset the compound!"

True enough, Kiba was as naked as a human could be, glistening from the shower Sai's ink beast had disturbed him from. Kiba was still screaming his lungs away as Sai fetched some clothes for him, unperturbed by Kiba's anger; the two of them had teamed up enough times to almost read each other's mind, but poor Kiba could never catch a break when it came to Sai's shenanigans. On numerous occasions he had sent ink beasts of all kinds to fetch Kiba, only to disturb him while eating, training, using the bathroom, sleeping, and on one hilarious instance, masturbating. With Kiba's clan also being associated with nin-dogs, it made invading the compound ALL the more fun.

Finally, Kiba (while still grumbling) was fully dressed but his cheeks were still holding a splash of pink from embarrassment. He roughly ran his fingers through his thick brown locks, needing very little effort to have it dried and standing at attention.

"Are you done?" Sai asked after the whole ordeal.

"Wait, so let me get this straight, me and you, right now, are going hunting for the nine tails? No questions asked, just go?"

"Kiba-kun, you act like this is your first time on a mission. You should know better than to ask  _why_?"

"Hey, fuck you! I'm just watching my ass! The last time we did some secret S-class mission, Danzo went apeshit! Does he know about this?"

Sai remained quiet, loosening the creepy smile he typically held on his face. "I'm sure he doesn't and I do not wish to tell him. What was this called again?"

"Rebellion?" Kiba asked with a smirk tickling the edge of his mouth. "You're supposed to rebel against your parents when you're a teen, Sai."

The creepy smile returned and Sai accompanied it with a careless shrug, a movement rarely seen from the prime and proper ninja. "I am behind everyone in these stages. I am just catching up."

Kiba scoffed. "What are you gonna do, reenact the puberty stage too?" He had said in a jokingly manner, hoping that Sai would pick up on the sarcasm.

Sai suddenly snapped his fingers as if he suddenly remembered something. "Ah, that reminds me, I've been meaning to ask—since you're here; I've been having these odd fantasies of Hokage-sama and you—"

" **Oh My God! What are you telling me right now?!** " Kiba screamed. He was tomato red from the very tip of ears down to the skin of his neck and beyond.

"I'm just confused of what this could mean. Am I attracted to the dick or vagina?"

"SAI! I—you—forget that shit for now, can we go?!" Kiba was trembling from embarrassment and desperately wanted to escape into the deepest, darkest cave where questions such as those  _didn't_  exist.

Sai pulled his face into another smile before double checking that he had everything that he needed. From one of his pouches, he grabbed a small scroll and unwrapped the folding to instantly draw a small bird. He breathed some life into the ink with a wave of chakra, patiently waiting for the bird to yank its wings from the paper and begin flapping in the air exactly like a real bird would. Grabbing yet another scroll from his pouch, he handed the bird the scroll and softly instructed it to hand it over to no one except the Hokage. With that, the bird zipped out of the window and soared away towards the Hokage tower. Kiba, noticing that everything was now complete, followed the same pattern and crouched out of the window towards the main gates. It wasn't intentional, not by any means (wasn't like he planned for this to happen) but Sai COULD NOT help but completely stare at Kiba's ass as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop. He wanted to figure out if he preferred it more than Hokage-sama's breasts, but no matter what, it was still difficult to determine what gender he preferred.

The two reached the gates, barely breaking a sweat in the process but immediately noticed the solemn air lingering about. There were two new guards stationed at the post, their faces unfamiliar and unenthusiastic; it made the reality of the situation all the more concerning. Sai approached the two guards to sign their names out and the two set out.

"So I've been meaning to ask," Kiba began. "How are we to go about this? I don't think we have any leads so where are we even to start?"

A foreign sigh was expelled through Sai's body, almost as if he were exasperated. "Danzo has…heard of Hokage-sama's theory. He too has been pining after the jinchūriki all these years so Kotetsu-san's recent death has urged him to use ROOT to assist in tracking him down."

"Did you guys find anything?"

"It was actually one of Kakashi-san's nin-dogs that caught a faint scent; when the information was exchanged to Danzo, he has been heavily tracking down that scent. It has lead to a few dead ends but it gives us a general idea of where to go. The thing, however, that makes this difficult is that the 'scent' we have been trailing isn't a natural scent from the perpetrator."

Kiba felt confused by that. "Then what?"

"It was the scent of chakra—non-human chakra to be more precise. I understand this will make your task a bit harder, but I figured you were still one of the best help for this mission."

"Ya' damn right!" Kiba beamed. "So we really might be hunting down the Kyuubi…how crazy."

Sai simply nodded and the two picked up their pace.

**Back at the Village:**

Sasuke returned to his home after the funeral seeing as his Hokage randomely disappeared and there was nothing else he could do without any new news to go on. Itachi was laying on the couch with both his legs and head propped up by pillows. He was wearing his reading glasses as he silently enjoyed one of his many favorites.

"How was the funeral?" He asked without looking up.

"Oh, it was so much fun, you really should have been there," Sasuke replied dryly. It made Itachi look up to see a man as tall and pale as him with a scowl and dark bags under his eyes.

He sighed. "I should scold you for being so inappropriate."

"On the contrary, you should praise me. Since when do I ever say something is fun?"

That did stop Itachi for a moment. "How true. Go upstairs."

The demand sounded out of place and random, which made Sasuke skeptical of why Itachi even said it. "…Why? Is this you scolding me?"

"Trust me, you'd know if I were scolding you. No, I just need you to go upstairs."

Sasuke still hadn't moved. He was internally figuring out what was going on, if this was a prank, if Itachi  _was_  somehow angry or offended…. "Oh… _OH_ ," he cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'll just…leave you alone…for a while."

Sasuke's arm was pelted with the book Itachi was reading before. Itachi was honestly one to never blush or stammer, but he was still human and invulnerable to misunderstandings. "I am doing nothing of the sort!  _You_  need to go upstairs for something, that is all!"

A rare laugh wanted to bubble its way out of Sasuke's throat but he held it in and narrowly escaped the wrath of his brother as he scooted upstairs as instructed. He wondered why he was being sent up here since there was nothing in the hallway or no noise coming from any of the rooms; maybe his bedroom? It wasn't his birthday nor any holiday important enough for presents…? Then what the hell could it be? Sasuke brusquely opened his bedroom door and immediately saw the 'surprise'. But it wasn't a surprise, unfortunately, it wasn't any freaking present that he could have wanted at the moment.

"Hi, Sasuke."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for reading, please review!
> 
> LoL about Sai, I actually enjoy how I've written his character. But tell me what you guys think; do you like, dislike, want him to chase after Kiba…? xD Love to hear what you think, thanks again!


	14. Being a Distraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> So I'm about to sound hella young and ignorant right now, but I was doing some yaoi research (for inspiration, etc) and came across of a youtube clip of one of THE hottest gay kisses ever! I ended up searching the source of this video and turns out it was a clip from Queer as Folk, a drama series about gays released in 2000 (14 years ago!). I have NEVER heard of this show so I marathoned all through 5 seasons, not getting any sleep and just soaking in all of the gay love! My fangirl heart went to heaven! BitTin forever!
> 
> Anyway, if you've never seen the series, it's on Netflix so watch it! As for the first song of the shuffle, by the Burnside Project, it's Cue the Pulse to Begin, the theme song to Queer as Folk! Haha enjoy and por favor, please rate and review or give a look see at my other series that I started writing!
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

" _Hi, Sasuke."_

Unlike the main rooms in the house and how large the house appeared from the outside, Sasuke's room wasn't that large. His room was a simple blue-grey room decorated with blue and caramel brown bedding, old pictures of him, his brother and his family framed on the dresser, a nice work station in the corner, and a decent closet on the far wall of the room. Despite its simplicity, the room was a haven for Sasuke, especially during the more rough and stressful days. So it was a bit unsettling to see bright and pink bubblegum hair staining the image of his room. His fiancée, Sakura, was sitting perfectly at the center of his bed with her legs daintily crossed over another, revealing their smoothness and shine; her outfit, from what he could see, was some short and tight mini dress that hugged her  _correctly_ , flaunting her curves and pushing her cleavage in such a manner that any ordinary man would drool at the sight. Any ordinary man except Sasuke of course. No doubt Sakura would have made a fine succubus if she were allowed, but despite her physical attraction, it wasn't enough to captivate Sasuke, at least not completely. He wouldn't stand there and lie and say that he couldn't get hard over the scene in front of him, but he just didn't want to…

Whether it was him being physically lazy or internally douche-y (or both), Sasuke Uchiha, a man who has a fiancée dressing up as a borderline slut just to please him and many would DIE for such an opportunity, simply. wanted. to sleep.

"Sakura…?"

"I know this seems…," she stated quickly but trailed off when she couldn't find the words.

"I'm not understanding…"

"There's no special reason, really, I just…wanted to surprise you."

A blush made itself known on Sakura's face and the more she tried looking up at Sasuke, the darker it turned. The bashfulness was something Sasuke hadn't seen in a while since he was so used to seeing Sakura tower over others with her attitude, so the reminder of how she used to act around him only brought on an unwanted shudder. There was an awkward silence that settled between the two, neither one looking at the other but finding the walls or the floor much more interesting. God only knew how much time had passed before Sasuke had had enough.

"Sakura, look, I…appreciate this…a lot, but it's been a rough couple days and…"

Sakura still hadn't looked up but Sasuke could see her forehead furrowing and her mouth open a few times as if to say something, but then shut when nothing came out. She repeated the motion several times before hissing out his name in a low but harsh voice. "Sasuke…I don't know what else to do!"

"To do?" Sasuke asked dumbly. For a man as intelligent and quick-minded as him, it was a wonder how he could be so clueless at times.

"You—You don't touch me, Sasuke, we barely see each other! We're supposed to be engaged but I still feel like I'm chasing you just to get a few minutes of your time!" Thankfully, there weren't any tears in her eyes but her voice was wavering and her gaze wouldn't sit still, moving in all directions except on Sasuke.

"Sakura—"

"I mean, I don't ask for much, Sasuke! I know you're busy and stressed, so am I, but that doesn't mean we can't have a few minutes to ourselves, as a couple. Do you know how embarrassing it is for a woman to be rejected…by her fiancée?"

The silence reigned again. This time, however, Sasuke didn't feel as awkward as before. For a while, he had prepared himself for the conversation, knowing that at some point, she was going to snap and demand for some emotional and/or physical attention. It was only fair, since it had been a while since the two had sex and there was only so many times one could use work, exhaustion, or lack of time as an excuse. Sasuke suddenly felt beyond his years; why did relationships require so much physicality? Why couldn't they just be happy enjoying each other's company instead of having to consummate it like some marked special event?!  _Because you're too much of a chicken shit to say otherwise_. True, why couldn't he just voice these same thoughts to her? What exactly was holding him back from telling the truth? Clearly he was unhappy, not that he knew why, but now it was transferring over to Sakura, making her unhappy. It had made him feel somewhat guilty, but at the moment, he couldn't find it within himself to just end the charade; all he cared about was sleep.

"Sasuke, say something."

"Sakura," he sighed. "I'm—I'd just really like to get some rest tonight. I'm—"

Sakura had already shot up from the bed and began hunting for her belongings to pick up. Her face was neutral but it was a given that she was beyond pissed, there was no room for discussion, and she was just  _done_. "Yeah, okay, sure, that's fine. I'll be going," she said hastily with a bit of bite to her tone. When she passed him, she hadn't even given him a glance.

Sasuke grabbed her arm to force her to look at him but her face made him regret the action instantly. Big fat tears were running down her face, blurring the once solid orbs of emerald. Panic began to set in; tears were not something Sasuke was good at handling. Of course he read the novels where the handsome man would instinctively kiss away the tears but in all seriousness,  _what the hell would that accomplish_? Sasuke concluded, just him having to lick her face and call that both romantic and apologetic…yeah, no he wasn't doing that. Instead, he settled for the verbal apology in hopes that she could read his expression and knew that he meant it, and perhaps she did, but she still walked out with a cold aura surrounding her. As Sasuke exhaled a deep sigh that drained him of his energy, he sat on the same spot Sakura occupied not too long ago. He noted that the spot was still warm but all it could remind him of was how this was to be the rest of his life. It was very difficult to sleep with those thoughts in mind.

~*NUNUNUNUNUNUUNU*~

"Sai, what the  _fuck_  are you doing?!" Kiba screamed, face as red as his tribal-fanged tattoos. Kiba had been knelt down along with Akumaru, sniffing the earth to gain any kind of lead to finding the Kyuubi but he suddenly felt something warm swipe against his rear. He had been kind enough to brush it off as an accident but after the fourth time, Kiba had had enough!

There was no reason for Sai to be knelt down on the ground, yet Kiba finds him right behind him with that stupid creepy smile and his right hand extended out as if he were going to shamelessly touch him again. "Please don't let me disturb you, I'm just conducting a search of my own."

"And what kind of search involves you touching my ass!?"

"Is this not how your nin-dogs say hello to one another? Or communicate other interests?"

Kiba grew flustered at the 'other interests' part; he had a pretty safe idea of what Sai was referring to then. " _No_ , that is not how they say hello! Anyways, we're on a mission, can we do this another time?"

For the first time in history, the palest boy in existence was highlighted with excitement. His eyes grew a bit wider than usual, his skin a slight tinge of pink, and his thin slips stretched in an actual smile. "Yes of course, Kiba-kun,  _another time_  would be perfect!"

"T-That's not what I meant!"

But it was already too late; Sai stood up from the ground, still glowing with joy, and searched at another section of the current grounds they were occupying. No more than two hours ago, Akumaru, Kiba's loyal nin-dog and teammate, found a peculiar scent, though it wasn't a very strong one. It was a lead nonetheless so they began investigating it since in hopes of catching another whiff. By this point, they were almost through the forest and were headed for the first neighboring town, Ultima*, but still, there were no signs of the man. Sai calculated that this man was very used to running away and knew not to talk to too many people or stay at any location for too long.  _Too bad he's an enemy, he would have made a great ROOT or ANBU member_. They scoured the area for another hour until Akumaru barked again.

"Did he find another scent?"

"Yeah." Akumaru whimpered something to Kiba that had him blushing the next second. "But he says it's…semen?"

Although he had wanted to make an inappropriate joke, even he was baffled at such a random finding. "Does it smell similar to the scent earlier?"

Akumaru whimpered again, answering the question despite Sai's lack of understanding. "He's definitely sure, the scent is practically the same. That's…odd."

"Indeed, do you think the Kyuubi container masturbated while escaping?"

Another blush controlled Kiba's features. "I-I don't—"

"If so, I must admit that I am quite enamored by such a feat."

Kiba was ready to end this conversation with a fierce shout but a quick whiff of the air and Sai's quick reaction halted that idea. Sai lacked hesitation in grabbing his sword that he had attached to his back and standing in formation, ready for any kind of assault waiting to happen. But instead of some fierce opponent popping out to attack, the two shinobi (and Akumaru) were met with a delicate giggle. The laugh sounded as if it were coming from every direction, every branch, behind every rock, even behind them. Akumaru growled viciously, curling his lips to showcase his long, sharp canines, mimicking the movements of his master. Suddenly, from the bushes, a tall woman appeared with her hands up in surrender. It was hard to read Sai's reaction but Kiba was stunned by her beauty. Her skin resembled his, perhaps off by a few shades, but everything else about her was so different than either male was used to. Her hair was ridiculously bright, but not obnoxiously so, more like a golden shade of yellow; it was pulled up into two pigtails that spiraled down a little past her hips. It was easy to see her round blue eyes and heart-shaped face, decorated with odd scars on each of her cheeks. She wore a short— _very short_ —black shorts along with a black mid-drift that only accentuated her mysterious persona.

"Who are you?" Sai demanded shortly. From the tone of his voice, all signs of amusement were gone.

The foreign woman slowly put her hands down and placed them on her hips instead before giving the two guys a once over. "Forgive me," her deep, sultry voice said. "I heard some voices and decided to check it out. I found your conversations to be funny."

"It does not answer the question. Who are you?" Sai asked again.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "It's un-ladylike to give out my name to strangers."

"We aren't strangers," Kiba interjected. "We're from the Leaf village and we're just passing by for a mission."

"That would still make you strangers, at least to me."

"I will not ask again. If you refuse to give an appropriate answer, I will use force," Sai snapped. Despite his known emotionless tendencies, Kiba always found his professional side to be frightening. "Who are you?"

The woman sighed and flicked one of her pigtails over her shoulder. "I was trying to be polite, you know, to spare your lives. But if you're that impatient to die, then I don't see any reason to delay it any further." Sai, Kiba, and Akumaru could see the woman's hair suddenly acting on its own and whipping around like chains. One pigtail stretched towards them to strike but with the three of them moving out of reflex, it missed. "Che, this is why I hate being the distraction."

~*NUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNU*~

**Meanwhile…**

_"Fuck…! Ah..ah…ah!_ "

At some point after their first encounter, the two woke up with a burning so uncomfortably powerful that Tetsu worried if he were poisoned or something. Orochimaru had little patience for summonings or foreplay, hence why he aggressively flipped Tetsu onto his stomach and slid his arms under his shoulders to have his hands reunite behind Tetsu's neck. The two bodies aligned after Orochimaru threw his knee over Tetsu's thighs but the sheer want to penetrate that heat had Orochimaru leaking, profusely, on Tetsu's bare skin. Tetsu keened in want, trying to lift his hips to plunge that cock into him but Orochimaru wanted to dominate him, on his terms. He barely pushed the tip in before pulling back and repeating. The teasing made Tetsu huff and groan; he squirmed against Orochimaru's hold in hopes to get the message across but Orochimaru had a high level of self control.

"Put it in, God damn it!" Tetsu snarled. Drool and spittle leaked from all edges of his mouth as he spoke.

"My, what a change from last night."

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, put it in, put it in,  _put it in_!" Tetsu sounded breathless, no longer caring for conversation or what Orochimaru was mumbling about.

Despite Orochimaru wanting to put Tetsu in his place, he couldn't deny that he himself had very little patience for foreplay. He aligned his cock once more towards Tetsu's entrance and delighted himself in the sensation of heat and tightness, groaning in unison with Tetsu. With how limited his movements were, Tetsu could only brace himself and endure the onslaught of pleasure that was given to him over and over again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *More names I made up for towns because I was too lazy to deal with accuracies of the Naru-verse.


	15. Mama Disapproves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> Hey guys, sorry for the late update! Don't want to sound redundant so if you've read the past chapters, then you already know why. But do know that I'm not giving up and not matter how much time passes, I'll be busting ass to finish this story x]
> 
> Anyway, I know this chapter is a little shorter than usual but considering that this is mainly an action chapter, I didn't want to just shift around to different scenes. I've actually never written an action scene before so please let me know what you think, if you understood it, etc; I'm hoping I painted the imagery well.
> 
> So the first song of the shuffle will be…Nelly Furtado- Big Hoops (Bigger the Better). Nelly Furtado is an interesting artist; she has the tendency of making interesting songs that sound like they have a lot of meaning, but it's actually much simpler than we think. She also can make music that you think you're not going to like because it doesn't sound…standard (or mainstream?) but then you'll find yourself liking it and singing along with the radio. This song was definitely one of those songs so I thought I'd share that with you all xD.
> 
> Anyway, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the other one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

_With how limited his movements were, Tetsu could only brace himself and endure the onslaught of pleasure that was given to him over and over again._

"C'mon, boys! Let's enjoy some little play time!"

Mama spun her hair around, spurring on a powerful whipping motion that had every leaf of the nearby trees trembling. The rain of noise presented nothing but unease in her opponents and that pleased her tremendously. She took the few moments that she could to analyze her enemy, noting that the one she was most wary of was the pale boy.  _Hmm, what would make him tick…?_  Mama wondered. Suddenly, Mama forced one pillar of hair to go underground, expand, and pop up under Sai to grab him, knowing that he was going to jump up to dodge. As predicted, Sai escaped the danger of the trailing hairs but Mama was one step ahead by using the other pillar as a whip to knock him down. Sai wouldn't have had a chance to dodge the second attack but Kiba used her sole focus on Sai as perfect distraction to charge up and cut the pillar with his charged up claws. Unfortunately, the pillar was much thicker and stronger than he assumed, and although he was successful, it cost him with two broken fingers. Broken bones were no surprise, especially to someone like Kiba, but that didn't mean it hurt any less or he liked it any more.

Sai landed perfectly next to him, casting a quick glance at him hand. "Are you alright?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, bitch has strong hair, though. She juiced it up with a lot of chakra."

Mama watched from her position how the two men before her quietly chatted, trying to figure her out. She could practically see the questions on their faces but she gave them little time to figure anything out. Once again, she whirled her hair around to attack, commanding it forward like a kunai to strike. Sai managed to shove Kiba in the opposite direction right before the hair could hit but Mama was quick and swiveled her hair in several directions to keep the men from stopping. She needed to separate them and keep them from planning against her; she had a feeling the pale one was the smart, strategic one of the two while the other one was more of a risk-taker. Based on the conversations she heard before, the pale one seemed to have some attraction for the other one; well if that's the case— _then bye-bye Doggie_.

From dodging one of her many attacks, Kiba had managed to hide on top of a large branch directly above their current battle. He watched as Sai hopped from one spot to the other, barely missing the attacks by a hair  **(Ha! Get it? A pun! xD)** , which forced him to think how to counter attack. He already knew that simply swatting the hair-pillars right back was a naïve idea, especially considering that he had two broken fingers to showcase that. Hence, why he had to quickly think up of a new plan before Sai—or him—slipped up. From his position, he could envision himself doing a Fang Passing Fang technique, but without Akumaru, who was currently in hiding, the technique wouldn't be as powerful. Seeing Sai barely dodge another attack, Kiba couldn't hesitate any longer.  _Passing Fang will just have to do_. Charging himself up with chakra, Kiba jumped off the branch and began spinning his body at a devastating speed, aiming straight for Mama. Mama, on the other hand, wasn't stupid enough to forget about Kiba, but she wasn't expecting such a forceful attack either. She could hear the spinning of his body before she could see it, yet managed to cocoon herself with thick layers of hair before Kiba could hit.

The defense was reflexive, somehow to her luck, but Kiba had managed to damage the many layers of her defense, leaving her wide open for another attack. Before Kiba could take advantage of the situation, however, he realized he couldn't move to use Passing Fang; looking down, he noticed his ankle was trapped by a tail of hair hidden underneath the ground.  _When did she do that?!_  Kiba thought.

"My my, Mister Doggie, you've surprised me. To think that you could hurt me so. It'd only be respectful if I returned the favor, ne?" A devilish smirk graced her face before she used the hair wrapped around his ankle to harshly pull down.

"Argh!" Kiba exclaimed. The pressure on his ankle increased, making him cringe with the thought that given just the right strength, she could rip it off. As he struggled against the hold, Sai quickly pulled out an arsenal of scrolls and painted a collage of chimeras to be summoned. One by one, the beautiful ink beasts came alive from the scrolls, dominantly trudging back and forth with harsh breaths and narrowed eyes. The first one to charge was a lion-headed, scaly creature with enormous paws and a snake head for a tail. With its mouth wide open, the lion chimera pounced, thirsting for the jugular of its chosen pray, Mama.

Mama, from her peripheral vision, saw the few beasts the pale boy had summoned and saw that one of them didn't even hesitate to try and kill her. While still keeping her hold on Kiba's ankle, Mama manipulated some more hair to create a defensive wall, charging it up with extra chakra incase the damage would be as vicious as when Kiba attacked her. Sai, knowing that she would find some way to defend herself from being hurt, wisely had his beast abruptly turn so that the snake head could dive underground and around the hair wall.

"Damn you, Mister Ghost Boy!" Mama snarled. Now being forced to let go of Kiba, she flipped back several feet to avoid being harmed by the snake head.

Another chimera, which was some kind of bird hybrid, flew up to reach the height of the tall trees, taking a few seconds to look down and gain a bird's eye view of the battleground before decelerating down. It released an obnoxious screech that had Mama's ears aching in pain, but she couldn't afford to look away from the chimera, not unless she wanted to be ambushed again. Mama was already annoyed that things had gone on for this long without either of her opponents giving up. She wished she had Squirt here with her to handle the idiotic mutt while she took care of the pale kid, but she didn't want to waste her time mulling over what she didn't have at the moment. Instead, she re-twirled her hair to wrap around her back, waist, and legs, giving a disturbing likeliness to a spider; using the sheer strength of the bottom half of her body, she hurled herself upwards towards the bird. It released another screech, almost as if shocked by the unexpected challenge, but its inky eyes narrowed as if declaring it was more than ready to accept the challenge.

However, Mama had other ideas and pulled out a kunai knife hidden inside a pocket of her chest; taped around the handle bar was a paper bomb with kanji of a specific command word. Hurling the kunai knife at the bird, Mama waited for the exact distance before uttering ' _Boom'_  and wrapping her hair around her, once again, like a cocoon. The bomb converted the squawking bird into nothing more than ink blots ready to spill back onto the ground below them. Instantly, she could see Sai pulling out another scroll to draw and Kiba charging up his claws with chakra. Gravity was beginning to drag Mama back down at a quickening speed, only, she reacted much too quickly and shot some of her thick hair that was wrapped around her waist towards the ground. Using the pillar as a medium to propel herself down, Mama used two extra pillars of hair similarly to blades, and spun down, violently. Kiba's good hearing could pick up the sound of the wind zipping around her, hissing like a demonic cat. For just a second, as Kiba watched—in slow motion—the terrifying image of Mama hurling towards them like some spinning, murderous, multi-functional shuriken, he realized, if he could ever admit some of his greatest fears out loud, it would have to be the site before him. Never, in all of his years of living, had he ever seen such a satanic scene; it wasn't just the wild spinning, it was the bloodlust clearly displayed upon her face.

This physically beautiful creature looked absolutely comfortable and content in battle, totally focused and thrilled that she was moving about. And Kiba thought his own mother was scary—Ha! If he truly lived through this, never again would he fear anything his mom ever threatened him with! Of course, he'd have to live  _through_  this first and just to reassure himself that he would, he glanced at the man next to him, Sai, and despite Sai looking the same as he usually did—stoic and plain—he felt better.  _Damn him_ , Kiba thought with a blush.

Suddenly, Mama's hair-like blades sliced through Sai's chimeras and destroyed the terrain around them, causing a mushroom of debris to fly upward, covering the majority of the battleground. Neither party moved or made a sound, allowing the smog to bypass them and settle down to the quiet field it was before. As it cleared, three pairs of eyes looked around to assess one another, all noting the one major difference—Mama. Sai wanted to break into a smile at the sight of his vicious opponent nearly saturated in ink, baking into her hair as the clouds migrated away from the sun and shone directly onto the field. Again, Kiba imagined that instead of ink, she was actually sitting in a large pool of blood,  _their blood_ , which brought about a cold shiver to run down his spine.

"What the  _fuck_  is this?!" she shrieked.

"It's the 'blood' of my ink beasts. Because you use your own hair as your weapon of choice, a weapon that killed my beasts, you have now spelled your death."

"The one who spelled his own death is  _YOU_  if I can't remove this from my hair!" Her reddened face only added on to Sai's excitement. As he thought of another joke to taunt her with, he noticed that she attempting to stand, her hair slightly trembling with the desire to follow her every motion. He could tell she was trying to move her hair as before, but the ink made it too heavy and unable to slither as it done before. Likewise to the bird-chimera from before, Mama kept shrieking in anger. She hollered a slew of curses that made even the most violent or drunken men seem tame. "I'm going to cut you open and feed your insides to the demons of hell," she spat.

Mama still couldn't move her hair as fluidly so attacking with it wasn't going to be effective, not that she was completely doomed. Granted, she was now severely weakened due to her hair being both her offense and defense, but she had more tricks up her sleeve. Throwing her last threat at them, she quickly reached into her hidden pockets to pull out more kunai knives. However, the very last thing she anticipated was for a loud bark to startle her and a piercing pain in her abdomen.  _What?!_

Akumaru had come out of hiding, using her distracted position to his advantage to tackle her down and prevent her from pulling anymore tricks. Mama's blood coated Akumaru's canines and snout as he growled in warning for her to stop moving.

"Yeah! Good boy, Akumaru!" Kiba shouted with a wide grin on his face. He was glad to have secretly ordered Akumaru to stay back in the beginning of the fight since her their opponent was so unpredictable and dangerous, but the best strategy to beat unpredictability was to be just as unpredictable.

" **Son of a…bitch** ," Mama growled venomously. For every breath she tried to take, she winced, feeling the canines dig deeper into her skin.


	16. Spatting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> What’s up?! Yay, I finished a chapter before delving into two term papers due by Friday at midnight…:’[  
> I’ll survive somehow haha. Anywhoozies, this chapter was very hard to write for some reason, I had a little bit of writer’s block as well as trying to formulate some level of justice for Inoichi and Shikaku—they are some of my fav characters and I didn’t want to ruin them. I hope you guys like them as well. Aside from that, winter break is here so hopefully I’ll be able to spit out some more chapters for both stories within that time frame. 
> 
> First song of the shuffle is thanks to Sleepy Skunk on Youtube; please go watch his videos, they are crazy amazing! He mashes up movie trailers of the year and he recently released the 2014 mash-up (but personally the 2013 was my favorite). The song is Brooklyn We Go Hard by Jay-Z ft Santigold. Great song, give it a listen when you get the chance!  
> Please review and please enjoy! Happy Holidays!!!
> 
>  
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,  
> CrimsonNi

_“ **Son of a…bitch** ,” Mama growled venomously. For every breath she tried to take, she winced, feeling the canines dig deeper into her skin.  _

 

 

Somehow, Sasuke found a way to convince his body and mind to rest, even if only for a few hours. The sleep was shallow, nothing really great, but it sufficed in letting Sasuke forget about his problems for a moment. But now, he was back in reality. He felt minor twitches from his toes and fingers, blinked several times in slow motion, listened to the deafening silence of his room, all reminders that he was alive and it was time to get up. He hadn’t the slightest clue what time it was or how long he slept, ignoring the militant part of himself that cared about punctuation—perhaps Kakashi was finally rubbing off on him. After stretching and getting out of bed, Sasuke was finally hit with wave after wave of recollection of what happened before he dozed off; Sakura waiting for him, the both of them arguing, Sakura crying…

 

 _Christ_ …So much drama meant a lot of repair. Maybe it was just smarter to leave Sakura alone for a while, a couple days, until she cools off, and then he’ll approach her with a better apology. _But why…?_ Why? Isn’t it because Sakura is my fiancée? _Is that your final answer?_   Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes tightly as if he were experiencing the worst migraine in history. He could hear a faint chuckle within his mind, that same voice whispering more doubt of his soon-to-be future. Wanting nothing more than to forget everything—again, Sasuke hurried downstairs to find Itachi calmly reading through the morning paper with a cup of coffee in his hand.

 

“Where’s Shima?” He asked, looking around the kitchen.

 

Itachi frowned, lowering the paper to gaze at his younger brother who was matching his current expression to the letter. “Not here yet. You know Sasuke, I _can_ manage—“

 

“You should have called for me.”

 

“You were resting and from what I could tell from last night, you needed it.”

 

Sasuke groaned, feeling irritated at himself for opening the floodgates by nagging Itachi. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

 

“Unfortunately, Little Brother, I am in an uncaring mood. I have asked you, time and time again, if this was what you wanted. You replied with approval each and every time. Yet now, you flinch every time you hear the word ‘marriage’ or any mention of Sakura.”

 

He couldn’t resist the roll of his eyes. “You are quite the exaggerator, Itachi.”

 

“I would be inclined to agree if last night wasn’t proof enough. You honestly couldn’t spend a few private moments with your future wife?”

 

“I’m not going to engage in sex with my fiancée in my bedroom with my _older_ brother in hearing distance, alone, downstairs!”

 

“You think I wouldn’t give you enough respect to leave you alone for a while?”

 

“Leave how?!” Sasuke hissed.

 

Itachi narrowed his eyes, giving a look Sasuke rarely saw from his older brother. It wasn’t murderous intent, but it felt pretty heavy, warning Sasuke of the fragile ground he was treading on. Although, Sasuke wasn’t in a thinking mood; he didn’t want to heed those warnings; if Itachi was going to keep pressing, then so was he.

 

“Sasuke—“

 

“I told you, I didn’t want to talk about it. I’m going through with this wedding and any problems me and Sakura have will remain as such—between Sakura and I.”

 

The two brothers glared at each other when they were interrupted by a hasty knock at the door. Sasuke couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in question, feeling the familiar chakra signature and wondering why the person even bothered knocking. Itachi must have thought the same since he gave Sasuke the same questioning stare. Opening the door revealed Kakashi in his ANBU gear. Immediately, Sasuke knew something was wrong.

 

“Tsunade-sama has asked for your presence.”

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“They might have—,“ But Kakashi saw Itachi sitting in the background listening intently to their conversation. It wasn’t that he had anything against Itachi but rules were rules, and he couldn’t have anyone who wasn’t assigned to the mission know such classified information. “I’ll brief you on the way there.”

 

With a curt nod, Sasuke headed back upstairs into his bedroom to throw on his ANBU gear. The process didn’t take long but the way Kakashi was rushing him made it seem as if he were dillydallying. Although they had a heated argument, Sasuke wouldn’t leave the house without saying goodbye to his brother and hearing him whisper to be careful. _He acts more like my mother than my brother_. When Sasuke bent down to tighten the straps of his sandals, Itachi tapped him on the forehead with a smile and mouthed an ‘ _I love you_ ’ so Kakashi wouldn’t notice. Whether he noticed not, Sasuke didn’t care (okay, he did) because it meant that they wouldn’t part with such harsh words between them; they were brothers first, friends second, rivals last. After their goodbyes, the two shinobi quickly jumped from roof to roof, headed towards the Hokage’s office.

 

“As you were saying?” Sasuke pressed.

 

“Tsunade-sama recently received a report from a member of ROOT stating that they have a lead of the 9-tail jinchūriki’s whereabouts.”

 

Sasuke was impressed at how fast they’ve managed to find any lead of that blonde-haired dobe. The reminder of the interrogation spurred a small shudder within Sasuke, reminding him of two piercing blue eyes with so many secrets and perception that for a moment, he wondered if he were Shikamaru’s twin. He hoped that wasn’t the case; one of the most powerful jinchūriki with a high IQ spelled nothing but of a pure nightmare. Instead of using the front door, both Kakashi and Sasuke used the top window for access into the office, Sasuke throwing on his mask before entering.

 

“What have I told you about using the window?!” Tsunade bellowed.

 

“Ah, sorry, sorry, it won’t happen again,” Kakashi lied. Luckily, Sasuke had his mask on so no one could see him roll his eyes in exasperation.

 

Looking around the office, there was the Third, Inoichi, Shikaku, Danzo, and Shizune standing next to a large ink beast—some kind of dog/bird hybrid. The most worrisome person within the office was Danzo, an elderly man with one eye covered with bandages and the other crinkled with disgust. _This must mean Sai is involved_.

 

“Now that everyone is here—“ Tsunade began, however, Danzo had other ideas.

 

“I am disappointed with you, Tsunade. To send a member of my division without my permission—“

 

“This isn’t about permission! And it’s **Tsunade- _sama_** to you; in my presence, whether you agree or not, I will be shown respect.”

 

“And how, pray tell, was it respectful to send Sai on a mission regarding the KYUUBI?!”

 

Tsunade slammed her hands on the desk, loud enough for everyone to hear one of the legs crack under the force. “Because Sai made the final choice and it had nothing to do with you! _HE_ wants nothing to do with you!”

 

The one eye of Danzo narrowed dangerously with a glint; he was furious. And he was ready to unleash his wrath when the Third interrupted and placed a hand on Danzo’s shoulder. “Enough, Danzo-san. Another time we will discuss boundaries and your parental disputes, but now, we must discuss this recent development.”

 

“Fine,” Danzo spat angrily.

 

“Tsunade-chan,” the Third said, internally finding amusement that he could get away with naming her as such. “What did the report say?”

 

Tsunade ignored the jibe and looked to the ink beast, slightly nodding at it. The beast suddenly opened its mouth and unleashed unsettling choking sounds until inky bile spewed forth. Within the puddle of vomit was a scroll rolled and tied by a thin string. Before anyone could grab it, Tsunade walked around her desk and fetched the scroll to unroll it. There was silence, everyone watching her eyes scan back and forth to read the contents, her lips set in a tight line.

 

“Well?” Danzo growled.

 

“Kakashi, Lynx (Sasuke’s ANBU name), does this drawing look familiar?” Ignoring Danzo, Tsunade held the scroll up and faced the two ANBU shinobi, showing them a picture Sai had drawn of a woman with two pigtails and a sadistic smile.

 

“Yes, Hokage-sama, she was a shadow clone Tetsu conjured up who charged her hair with chakra to attack us. She was a distraction, along with the child shadow clone, to allow Tetsu to escape,” Kakashi replied.

 

“Hmm, seems she was at it again. Sai and Kiba had an encounter with her in the outskirts of the village but the main culprit was nowhere in sight.”

 

“Outskirts?” Shikaku interjected. “If I may, from what direction did they encounter this woman?”

 

“From the north, close to Ultima. The report says they were investigating a lead, a scent specifically, but it ended in the forest and then they encountered the female clone.”

 

Shikaku frowned. “Ultima wouldn’t make any sense. The population and village are much too small for hiding and the Leaf have a small handful of shinobi stationed there. They would have immediately alerted us if there was suspicious activity.” Without being told to do so, Shizune grabbed a large map of the Fire Nation and unrolled it on top of Tsunade’s desk. Everyone circled around the desk to look at the detailed image of the country. Shikaku then circled the town of Ultima and drew an arrow to link it to the northern gate of the Leaf village. “It isn’t just the lack of populace from Ultima, but also the dense environment—the whole northern side is heavily shrouded in trees, easy surroundings that would have caught his scent and made him more traceable instead of the little tidbit that Kiba-kun caught.”

 

“So you think he headed in another direction?” The Third asked.

 

“I do. Whether that was his intention or not, he couldn’t have travelled further north since he would have been sighted or at least traced. My theory is he must have headed north-east; there are many mini-towns in that direction with little forest surrounding them to make it easier for tourist attraction. That also means there are many natives and foreigners that live in that area that could disguise his scent and make it difficult for anyone to spot him.”

 

“Then this poses multiple problems. If we are to follow this theory, the north-east is too large to cover and search without any suspicion of some sort—this criminal was clever enough to throw a distraction to confuse and mislead someone of Sai’s caliber and he is hiding in an area with a high population! He is essentially holding those people hostage!” Danzo exclaimed.

 

“Now let’s not get carried away here, nothing has been confirmed. Why would he go on a rampage to hold anyone hostage and turn the Leaf village into his enemy when he could have done that while he was captured before?” Inoichi threw back. “Granted, he poses a great threat and I fear he _would_ become a grave danger if we back him up against a corner, but I doubt it he plans to use hostages. He’s just trying to run away.”

 

“That level of nonchalance will result in the death of innocent civilians if we do not act now. He is a high class criminal—“

 

“Being a jinchūriki doesn’t automatically qualify someone as a criminal, Danzo-san,” Inoichi argued. An ill feeling began whispering under his skin, raising the little hairs on his arm, putting him on alert. He disliked the feral glare Danzo had but he hated the venom he exuded when he spoke about Tetsu even more.

 

“You make sure you tell that to Kotetsu’s family and friends. I’m sure they think very differently.”

 

Inoichi bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from hashing out an insult. The last thing he wanted was to pick a fight with someone as shady as Danzo over an argument about some helpless kid. Well…technically, he wasn’t a kid, but still, Inoichi couldn’t help but think about that little child with the huge blue hues and rosy cheeks; at one point, Tetsu used to be that innocent kid and that plagued Inoichi’s morals deeply.

 

“The question now remains what our next action should be?” said the Third.

 

“If I may suggest something?” Shikaku asked. He looked at Tsunade, who nodded at him to continue. “It seems we have some luck on our side. If I’m recalling correctly, some of the log books of who is currently out on a mission has a time stamp that says that Jiraiya-sama and Orochimaru-sama are out on a mission. Recently, an update came in from Jiraiya-sama stating that the mission was a success and that presently, they are residing in Shikashima for some rest. If they go according to schedule, they should be back to the village by tomorrow evening. However, if we send a notice to both Sai and Kiba as well and Jiraiya-sama and Orochimaru-sama, we might have a better chance at capturing the 9-tails.”

 

“ _If_ it is the 9-tails,” the Third corrected.

 

“How can you still have doubt, Saidaime-sama? Wouldn’t it be more worrisome if it _wasn’t_?” Danzo asked.

 

“There is nothing wrong with holding reservations. Now, Tsunade-chan, what is your next move?”

 

Tsunade took a look around the room before crossing her arms over her chest. Her expression was piercing, compacted yet still willful and determined to obtain success. “Kakashi and Lynx, I want you two to split up each with a team of three; one of you will head for Sai and Kiba and the other to Jiraiya and Orochimaru. Use whatever means necessary to subdue the 9-tails container. **Whatever means**.”

 

Both Kakashi and Sasuke bowed. “Yes, Hokage-sama.”


	17. Fool Me Twice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!  
> So the last time I finished a chapter, it was right before my right foot suddenly became an inflamed MOFO but I thought I bruised my foot so I refused to go to a Dr; well, let me tell you, NEVER have I ever been in such excruciating pain! No lie, I actually hallucinated that there were evil men in my bedroom and at some point, I passed out from the pain. Needless to say, I went to the Dr the next morning and that said it wasn't broken...just inflamed. WTF?! Cool experience though, one for the books!  
> Haha, back to the story; we are finally getting a damn move on towards the main characters finally meeting! So hope you enjoy this chapter and please, PLEASE read the end for notes because I realized I've made a bit of a boo-boo and I have some explanin' to do. So for better understanding, read that.  
> First song of the shuffle is...Bastille- Skulls. At first, I was meh with this song, but damn, now I freakin' love it! The one part where it almost sounds like he's begging “Hold me in your arms~” I just swooned. Give it a listen when you can =]  
> Anyway, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!  
> Eggs and Bacon,  
> CrimsonNi

_Both Kakashi and Sasuke bowed. "Yes, Hokage-sama."_

"I will be requesting Akimichi Chouji and Nara Shikamaru."

Kakashi nodded and paused for a moment as if still thinking of whom he wanted. Sasuke wasn't sure why he was putting on such an act since it was clear that Kakashi already thought of two people to select. But that was Kakashi—weird and unfathomable. "Then I will be choosing Rock Lee and Hyuuga Neji."

"Very well," Tsunade said as she signed her name on the request form. "Now, who will be going where?"

"We thought it best to send Lynx and his group over to Jiraiya-sama and Orochimaru-sama while my group go after Sai and Kiba."

"Good. Be safe and be careful...please."

Kakashi gave his signature hand wave and disappeared in a puff of smoke while Sasuke bowed and quickly escaped through the window. There was much to do in such little time, but Sasuke was used to this kind of rush; he knew how to move around getting everything he needed done before having to leave. He summoned two cat summons—Chie and Koji—and ordered one back to his house to alert Itachi of the last minute mission, while the other went to fetch Chouji and Shikamaru.

It was all but 15 minutes before everyone showed up at the front gates prepared for their mission. Sasuke was standing next to Kakashi as Lee landed first with his usual green leotard riding a little to high in the crotch area for everyone's comfort; Neji landed right after him, showing no emotion except for an acknowledging nod at Kakashi; Shikamaru and Chouji were the last to arrive, the two of them showing up together (probably cloud-watching or eating at a restaurant), one with the most disinterested expression while the other was smiling as he munched on a huge bag of potato chips.

"Okay," Kakashi began. "A quick debriefing: the recent death of the late gate guard, Kotetsu, has sparked some extreme beliefs that the perpetrator who committed the crime, who also escaped from the village after doing so, might be a jinchūriki—the 9-tails Kyuubi to be more exact. Our mission is to bring the suspect back to the village. Alive. We are to split into a group of two; Neji and Lee will come with me, Chouji and Shikamaru will be leaving with Lynx. Any questions?"

Chouji raised his hand but had trouble keeping it up for long since he wanted to lick the salt off his fingers.

"Yes, Chouji?"

"Why are we splitting up? The message didn't really go into much detail..."

"Earlier, two shinobi were sent to track down a suspicious lead of the jinchūriki but their mission suffered interference. My group will be heading towards those shinobi and meet up with Lynx's group who will be assisting Jiraiya-sama and Orochimaru-sama in one of the town north-east. Understood?"

Three of the four shinobi nodded except for Shikamaru who boldly groaned that this was nothing but troublesome. Sasuke inwardly wondered why he decided to choose him but had to remind himself that Shikamaru was a genius so it was just best to put up with his whining. As soon as the gates closed shut behind them, the two groups parted ways running as fast as their weight could carry them.

~*SUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSU*~

There was the lightest touch that tickled the skin of his cheek and base of his ear. It was light but there was a hint of warmth with it and some fragility that made it seem mesmerizing. Tetsu basked in it despite not knowing what it was that was caressing him. When the touch shifted away, Tetsu groaned in protest, wordlessly begging for it to return and coax him back to sleep. In reply, he could faintly hear a chuckle that vibrated through the source and into his side.

"Tetsu," a voice said quietly. "It's time to wake up."

"No, just a little bit more!"

He heard the chuckle again and fought against his resisting eyelids to open his eyes. His vision was a bit blurry but he could make out the salt-colored hair that cascaded past his shoulders, down onto the flesh of the bedding, tickling at Tetsu's sides. It reminded Tetsu of a spider's web—minus the stickiness—that pulled at it's victims and weaved them in. Already his eyes could barely resist in tracing up the spidery hair up to the man's chin, almost smiling at the familiar beard that contrasted starkly against the soft, but aging vanilla skin.

"Zarius," Tetsu whispered.

The man's smile suddenly shifted, pursing either in anger or confusion. It moved closer, passed Tetsu's vision, closer to his left ear and breathed lightly. "Who's Zarius?" It whispered right back.

Immediately, Tetsu sprang forward as if he were doused in cold water, but no sound escaped his mouth. Instead, he clutched at his bare chest and focused on the erratic beating of his heart, silently whispering for it to calm. He saw small movement at his side and sharply turned his head to see Orochimaru, still naked, sitting closely beside him.

"You're...still here?"

"Did you expect me gone?"

"Yes. You're friend said you would be leaving after breakfast so I figured..."

"Hmm, you needn't worry about time. It's still early in the morning. At the least, Jiraiya just arrived at his own room and is puking half his weight."

Tetsu lightly smiled at the image. "What do you mean 'just arrived'? I thought he didn't indulge anymore since he's married?"

"He doesn't. When he's out, he's usually collecting 'research'.Somehow that idiot is a world-renowned smut author."

At this, Tetsu laughed, finding amusement in Orochimaru's disdain and how he regarded his best friend. When his laughter died down, he caught Orochimaru staring at him. "What?"

"Would it be out of line of me to kiss you?"

"What?! You—I mean...that's not a common request."

"How uncommon is it?"

"I...have never been asked. Those that attempted in the past, without asking, get turned down. It's referred to as an act of intimacy so not many...allow it."

"And now? Would you allow it now?"

Tetsu replayed the previous night's events, the horrendous feelings that boiled his blood and made him  _hate_  this man before him, made him terrified and angry of how much smarter he was than him. He remembered thinking how fast he wanted to run away from this man, how, if he could, he'd kill him and not regret it. But now, with Orochimaru softly staring at him in anticipation, he didn't feel any of those negative emotions. He was smart enough to not define this as  _love—_ dear lord no—but he found no harm in spoiling neither him nor himself in a beneficial moment that satisfied the both of them.

"Okay," Tetsu finally said.

They exchanged another smile before Orochimaru slanted his head and lessened the gap between them. Right before Tetsu could feel his lips, Orochimaru paused, trying hard not to lean any further. "Wet your lips for me."

By this point, Tetsu didn't question why, he just did as he was told as he slowly trailed his tongue to skim across his lips. His saliva caused his lips to glisten, causing Orochimaru to finish the gap and kiss him completely. Instantly, Tetsu responded and molded his lips against Orochimaru's, sharing a low moan of appreciation. Orochimaru moved just like he had sex; aggressively and possessively. This wasn't a slow and searing kiss, but a chaotic transfer of sounds and fluid. Tetsu didn't kiss often, so he wasn't sure what to expect from a person like Orochimaru; he didn't know kisses could be so messy, that teeth and tongues could be so interfering, that it would require so much energy! Yet, he carved every movement into memory, every feel; the warmth of Orochimaru's mouth, the sounds he made, or even how his tongue demanded so much (just like its master). Before he even realized it, the two were once again on the bed, Orochimaru on top, kissing away with a subtle implication that more would ensue. Tetsu only hoped that was the case. In fact, he almost broke the kiss with laughter when he felt those pale hands sliding up his chest—maybe he'd get his wish after all.

" **GET YOUR ASS UP!** "

Tetsu turned his head away, effectively ending the kiss, and pushed Orochimaru away with a hand on his chest.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

_"Kurama?"_

" _Who else?! Stop asking questions and get up. Leave, now!"_

_"Excuse me? Where the_ _**FUCK** _ _have you been?! I've been asking for you with no goddamn response and now you show up when I don't fucking need you and you demand me to just listen?!"_

_"_ _**I've been busy trying to protect your ass from getting into trouble! NOW they've caught Mama and they're looking for you! Get the FUCK OUT!"** _

"Tetsu-kun? What's wrong?"

Coming back to the presence outside of his mind, Tetsu paled when he realized he had wasted so much precious time. He suddenly remembered why he wanted to run in the fist place and mentally scolded himself for getting sidetracked. It wasn't helping that Kurama was simultaneously scolding him too. "I gotta go. Sorry." He pushed a bit harder at Orochimaru's chest and raced around the room fetching his clothes. He knew Orochimaru was staring at him in question but he couldn't waste anymore time entertaining him.

"What's going on?"

"I can't explain! I'm sorry for the rush but I really have to go." Tetsu was finally dressed and took one last glance at the naked man still sitting on the bed. "Thank you." He raced out the door and down the hall, barely hearing Orochimaru's call to wait.

It didn't matter that there were a few people awake at this early hour standing and chatting about, Tetsu raced through them, around them, under them, over them, however way he needed to get further away from the inn. He was already at the entrance, ready to bolt, when suddenly, a punch hit him from the left. The speed and force knocked him hard enough into some nearby tables and chairs that were stationed there for the nightly parties. Tetsu groaned from the impact but assessed he wasn't badly injured and could stand up. Once he looked up, he saw none other than Jiraiya staring down at him with a menacing glare.  _Shit_.

"So it is true."

"I don't know what you're talking about, old man."

"No? What about the omission that you're a criminal?"

"You must really be losing your memory since you figured out I was a prostitute and reprimanded me."

"I'm talking about you being a murderer and running away from the Leaf Village. My village."

 _Double shit_. "I had no way of knowing that was your home town!"

"Well now you know and now I'm taking you back into custody."

"The fuck I'll go back after I managed to escape," Tetsu growled. Taking advantage of the few window of seconds he had, Tetsu transformed into a replica of Mama, snapping the bands around his pigtails to let his hair loose. Charging up his hair with some chakra, he aimed a few pillars of hair directly at Jiraiya.

While Jiraiya was distracted with dodging, Tetsu took it upon himself to expand his hair until it completely wrapped around him and molded eight hair-made legs, making him look like a giant demonic spider. Without waiting another second, Tetsu used his newly made legs to jump away and scale up the neighboring building to use the roof top. He jumped a couple roof tops before a scream from some nearby woman distracted him from the large man following closely behind. Jiraiya was quick to put some hand seals together and throw a fire ball right at Tetsu. Being forced to quickly dodge, Tetsu threw himself against the floor of the roof, rolling away to put distance between the two, but the fire still managed to hit some materials, burning them in the process.

"Good job, idiot, burn down the whole building while you're at it!" His voice, now screeching in a high pitched voice, shouted.

"You're the last person I want to hear that from!"

"The screw you!" Using two of his legs, Tetsu created a hole on the ground and jumped right through, landing gracefully on top of a kitchen table. Two frightened children and their mother stared at their dismantled kitchen, shocked frozen to say or do much else. "Sorry about the mess."

Quickly, Tetsu hoped off the table and raced across the area to escape through the main exit. More bystanders were standing in the hallway, immediately screaming in pure fright at the sight of a spider-woman made of blonde hair but he paid them little mind as he headed for a window sighted at the end of the hallway. Tetsu couldn't detect where Jiraiya was—he doubted the man was still just standing idly on the roof—but figured he had enough of a head start to successfully escape. After hurling himself through the window, Tetsu landed safely, realizing he was now at the side of the building. Noticing there were some  _more_  people who would no doubt scream in shock, rage, or confusion, he didn't hesitate in knocking them out with hard hits to their faces. However, when he tried to move, he found every muscle in his body disobeyed. He was frozen.  _Why?! Why can't I move?!_  He couldn't even turn to investigate whether or not the old man somehow messed him up to cause this.  _Maybe I'm in a genjutsu?!_

"Caught her," a voice behind him said.

"I thought the female was with Kakashi-sensei's group?" Said another voice.

"Nope, that's definitely is him! Weirdo transformed into a woman so he could use all that damn hair!" Jiraiya's familiar voice grumbled. He sounded out of breath and airy as he spoke.

"Is this becoming too much for you, Jiraiya-sama?" It was the primary voice that spoke again.

"Shut it, kid! I ain't old yet! Now can someone tell me what the hell is going on?!"

"We'll explain everything on the way. First, we'll have to knock him out." This time, it was a different voice, but Tetsu couldn't help but think this one sounded familiar.

He got his answer when the person circled around him and he saw a tall, masked individual—it was the hottie with the nice ass! "It's...you again." Tetsu struggled to say.

"Silence. You're being arrested and taken back to the Leaf."

A sly smirk broke across Tetsu's face, making Sasuke alert for something dangerous. "Cute," he said before dispersing into a cloud of smoke.

 _Damn it, it's another shadow clone!_  "He's still at large! Find him before he escapes again! And mind anyone that looks suspicious; he has a talent for disguising himself."

"Ah, how troublesome," Shikamaru mumbled before all shinobi split up.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I realized my timeline seems a bit fucked up since I seem to have forgotten to add any indication of when something is happening. That's my fault; I have to keep remembering that people can't see into my head so...  
> But I'm learning. When I get to the editing portion of this series, I will include such details. Until then, here's a run down:  
> Tetsu was arrested and taken to the village (Day 1)  
> Tetsu was interrogated, Sasuke, Kakashi, and more are introduced as characters, they tell Tsunade about what they learned, Sarutobi questions Tetsu, Tetsu is found to have escaped (Day 2)  
> Tetsu escapes village and runs away to Shikashima, meets Jiraiya and Orocimaru (3 Days later)  
> Kiba and Sai are investigating Tetsu's escape and jinchūriki status, Sasuke arguing with Sakura and Itachi, Kiba and Sai fighting with Mama (During the 3 days time period)  
> So we are approx on Day 5. By now you're probably asking: Then how the F*** did Sasuke and team make it to Shikashima in like one day?! Great question! That will be answered a little later in the future.  
> Anything else that I missed? Please tell me in the reviews. Have a great day, love you all!!!  
> -CrimsonNi


	18. Rhythmic Bullshit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!
> 
> OMG, What's up guys?! So much to tell you so here we go! First, if you're knowledgeable about the east, then you know it is cold as tits out here! School is great but lots of homework and papers due but I'm crossing my fingers to get it done soon so I can write more. Also, some fantastic news; I just released the prologue and 1st chapter of my own original story! WHOO! I'm so excited and if you guys want to read it, I'll put the link at the bottom. Currently working on the second chapter!
> 
> Lastly, this chapter was super fun for me, I know it's a little wordy but it features Kurama a lot and Tetsu (Naruto) so I think you'll like it. Please enjoy and don't forget to review!
> 
> First song of the shuffle: FKA Twigs- Pendulum. Never heard of this chick until recently and now I have fallen in love! Granted, she's a little weird but she's very artistic and this song is so lyrically masterful. I love lyrics that are so freakin' relatable, etc. Give it a listen =]
> 
> Anyway, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

_"Ah, how troublesome," Shikamaru mumbled before all shinobi split up._

The shinobi scattered in all different directions in search for Tetsu. Sasuke felt anger boil under his skin; he  _hated_  being toyed around like this fool was doing to him! How couldn't they pin this guy? He was an Uchiha! This wasn't acceptable! The situation was only getting worse when more people heard the commotion and started waking up to try and get a look. This could mean that Tetsu was hiding either amongst them or already gone from the perimeter. He looked into the faces of as many citizens as he could, trying to gouge out any suspicion, but none of them were guilty. That only increased his frustration!

As for Tetsu, he did manage to slip past their little coup d' etat but not by far. Based off of the memories of the shadow clone that just dispersed, he now knew there were two shinobi plus the hottie and the old man. One of them captured the clone, the one with the spikey brown hair with some kind of weird ninjutsu, so it was best to avoid him. He wasn't sure what the fat one was capable of so maybe he was just the muscle of the group? If he was, it didn't really matter since Tetsu still had to worry about the old man that probably has  _years_  worth of whimsical jutsus to use and then the hottie and he didn't know anything about what he could do in battle.  _Damn it! There has to be a way out of here!_

_I reside within you_

_For your protection and usage_

_It will not take much to cut through_

_The foolish and the useless_

I know that...I know  _that_...but I don't want to kill anyone innocent.

_Then you will die_

_Then I will be in their hands_

_Your corpse will be their prize_

_And I will be used to expand their lands_

I won't die! I won't get captured! I'll live and get out of here! I will!

The certainty was clear in his voice. He truly believed he was going to escape out of this unscathed, without a hitch, without tremendous worry. Although Kurama felt his conviction, he also felt anxious about the outcome of this battle. He didn't care if it wasn't going to be easy—if worst comes to worst, he'll kill anyone he has to—but he had a feeling this wasn't going to end prettily. Something bad was going to happen.

As if the devil himself agreed with the thought, Tetsu was suddenly jabbed from the side and the inability to catch himself caused Tetsu to flip across the ground until he smashed into a a few wooden crates. Some minor splinters punctured his skin, causing droplets of blood to smear across his skin and clothes.  _Shit, now my scent is everywhere_. He recovered fast enough to get up from the now ruined pile of wood and see who was it that attacked him. The person before him was Orochimaru.

Despite his panting, Tetsu found enough air into his lungs to speak. "You don't understand."

"You'd be surprised." Orochimaru wasted no time in forming quick seals and biting into his thumb until blood broke through is skin. With a graceful touch to the ground, a summoning appeared—a large black snake with yellow streaks skiing across its back.

"Wait a second! You really don't understand! I can't be captured—"

"Enough," Orochimaru snarled. His eyes were narrowed and his lips were set in a thin line that added to his ferocious expression. "Habu, capture him alive."

He didn't want to acknowledge it, but a small part of him was disappointed that the man before him didn't even want to listen to a word he had to say. It wasn't too long ago when it was the same man that  _asked_  to kiss him—asked! As in, for permission...yet now they stood face to face as enemies in just a matter of minutes. It was already a well known theme for Tetsu not to trust anyone, even if they were the best fuck ever, but for a split second, he really thought this person would be different. Not in the falling in love type of way, but more in the sense that he didn't have to explain much about himself. He didn't have to go out on a limb of justifying who he was because this person already had an idea, like he could read his mind. And that felt pleasant. It felt nice to make a connection with someone to that extent. But reality was a bitch, and it seems even the understanding weren't capable of always understanding.

"Fine, if it's like that, then I'll play too!" Tetsu formed his own seals and bit into his thumb, just like Orochimaru. Just as Habu was about to lunge, a puff of smoke appeared inbetween, quickly dissipating to reveal a semi-large red fox with four tails swishing violently. Instead of red eyes, however, it possessed two black pools that threatened more violence than his bite could promise. "Akuma." The fox's tail twitched but it did not turn around to acknowledge Tetsu. It seems he was too interested in the snake that was hissing at him.

"Cute trick, but Habu still owns him in size and poison."

"Heh, in my experience, size doesn't always matter."

Now being unable to attack from the front, Habu took a more sneaky approach and burrowed himself underground, leaving Akuma to wonder when and where he would attack. Not favoring the aspect of being left vulnerable, Akuma used his tails to wrap around one another, forming a bulbous-like shape at the end, like a hammer. And with a powerful swing, he smashed his tails against the ground, causing large cracks to form, only to swing again so the ground could split wider. Akuma only managed to get a glipse of Habu's tail (since he was trying to bury himself deeper) but that was enough for Akuma to lunge forward and snag the end of the tail between his teeth. He pulled his head back to yank at the tail in hoped of pulling Habu out of the ground. A powerful hiss escaped from Habu as his tail was punctured and blood pooled into Akuma's canines, dribbling onto the ground. Unwrapping his tails to use as leverage, Akuma managed to effectively pull Habu out and sharply twist his head over to slam Habu against the ground. However, Habu quickly twirled himself upward (flexibility was a huge advantage) and wrapped his upper half around Akuma's neck. With the two summonings struggling against the ground to fight one another off, Tetsu wanted to use the opportunity to split. Yet, when Tetsu turned to find an escape route, he instead saw four shinobi. Despite the situation, Tetsu could faintly hear Kurama's snickering at the ridiculousness of the situation.

~*SUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSU*~

"She's been awfully quiet," Kiba whispered.

"It's desperation on her part. She's wanting to trick us and escape," Sai replied as quietly.

They said nothing more, merely keeping a distance but a full eyeful on the female clone. After Akamaru attacked Mama, Sai used a restraining jutsu that kept her from forming and seals or using her hair. They knew better to assume that she was useless now. It wasn't too long ago when they received word from Konoha about reinforcements so it was just a matter of waiting but internally, they were uneasy. Meanwhile, Mama sat still on the ground, still covered in the ink that tangled in her hair. Her eyes were closed as she tried to focus in on her situation and how she would manage to escape. Before the pale boy tied her down with his jutsu, Mama managed to relay her capture to Kurama-sama in hopes that Tetsu-sama was in the midst of escaping himself. It would be ideal to just 'pop' herself but from experience, she knew not to do that when Tetsu-sama was fighting; the surge of memories and physical exhaustion received from the clone only proved to be detrimental. It just wasn't smart on her part to assume yet—she had to receive word first before doing anything. However, at the moment, she still had to think of something. She couldn't enter sage mode either without flaring some chakra and getting caught...

But as luck would have it, she didn't need to worry too much. Just as Mama was trying to figure out a loophole, a loud but deep voice resounded within her mind.

_You are in need of assistance_

_"Kurama-sama! I am sorry for my failure. How is Tetsu-sama fairing?"_

_You need not apologize_

_You have faired well and fought loyally_

_Tetsu is an idiot with no sense or knowledge_

_I have found a plan to end this finally_

_"Tetsu-sama would be truly upset if more deaths are involved."_

_He does not get to decide_

_How we shall fight_

_I will do as we must to survive_

" _I understand. Then what is you plan, Kurama-sama?"_

_A gift shall arrive for your captors_

_And free you from your prison_

" _And Tetsu-sama?"_

_He will be in better hands_

_A reveal of uncommon air_

_A perfect plan_

_These humans will be in need of a God and prayer_

A loud rumble of a laugh followed and his presence disappeared, leaving Mama to wonder what it was he had in store for everyone. Coming back to the present and opening her eyes, Mama could note that the two shinobi were still heavily observing her but did not seem to notice her mental disappearance.  _Perfect._

"Not gonna lie, boys, I'm a little bored just sitting here," she finally said.

"You are to remain quiet."

"Aww, c'mon Mr. Pale-boy, at least give me  _some_  kind of conversation. What are you, anti-social?"

Sai slightly narrowed his eyes in agitation. She had hot the nail on the head with his awkward social skills. "I will not repeat myself."

"Then fine, what about you, Mr. Dog-boy? Still anal that I broke your fingers?"

"Shut up! That's all you could manage to do anyway!"

Mama wanted to rebut with some kind of nasty and/or derogatory remark, but she bit her tongue. She had to play this carefully, buy some time before the big surprise. "Oh honey, I'm sorry, did I not satisfy you enough? You know, if Mr. Pale-boy didn't interfere, I would have turned your body inside out. Bend it in any way you could have imagined and finished you off like a seasoned pro. That's of course, with just my left hand."

Kiba blushed from the tip of his ears down to his neck, which wasn't something Sai appreciated in seeing. "You will not be asked again. Keep your mouth shut."

"Well then we're gonna have a problem here since my attention span doesn't buddy up well with silence. So either we talk or we fight. I prefer we talk. So how about those conversations you were having earlier before I interrupted?"

"Listen here," Kiba shouted. "If you don't do as he says and shut—" As Kiba shouted at the clone, Sai heard a terrifyingly loud noise between the trees.

"Kiba, quiet!" He ordered. Immediately, Kiba quieted and together, they listened for any disturbances. Another round of noises sounded between the trees, only louder, causing Akamaru to whimper in trepidation. Sai looked at Mama and noticed her calm demeanor. "What have you done?"

Mama couldn't help the demonic smile that came across her face. "I'm not sure what you mean. You've chained me up pretty good so you would have noticed any tricks if I tried to pull them."

"I lack any hesitation in killing you. If this is your doing, then I can only conclude your death," Sai said menacingly. He wore the familiar dark expression that Kiba secretly as he spat his anger at Mama. His sword was already drawn and he moved in towards her. He meant what he said, he was going to kill her (or 'pop' her since she was just a clone).

Again, Mama smiled as she smugly looked at Sai and his toughened bravado. "I dare you."

It all happened in slow motion; Sai swung his sword towards Mama's neck, in the hopes of brutally beheading her, but a deafening roar erupted from the trees, causing the nearby leaves of the bushes and trees to tremble against their will. Sai paused and both he and Kiba looked for any sign of what may have released such a sound. Kiba couldn't even grab a scent of anything coming, bot until a huge and blurry blob surged forward. The stench of sweat and musk was prominent, however, that wasn't what Kiba was really concerned about. What stood before them had to have been the most maniacal thing either one of them had ever seen. It was a large person—maybe—with drool and foam spewing from the mouth, red eyes so violent that Kiba was afraid this thing would eat him whole, wild hair matted down by sweat or some other secretion, a contorted but bulging body and two large claws.

"W-What the fuck is that?" Kiba questioned airily.

Mama was also surprised at the 'gift' but beyond happy with the result. "Squirt," she called out. "Come and save Mama!"

With another trembling roar, Squirt lurched forward.

~*NUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNU*~

**Earlier:**

They had all felt the immense chakra levels that thankfully indicated that the culprit had not managed to escape. Now all four shinobi had Tetsu surrounded while Orochimaru was fighting off another one his attacks. Tetsu was clenching his teeth together, furious at the reality of his situation. It only made Sasuke feel smug.

"Jesus, you people won't give up," he murmured under his breath.

"Ya damn right! We're Konoha shinobi, the strongest of them all, the best of them all!" Jiraiya gloated

"Heh. That's just patriotic narcissism. Anyone with an education knows Konoha sucks and just a shelter for people with daddy issues." He said so with a grin even though inside, he was wishing he kept his mouth shut.

"Says the whore," Sasuke (or Lynx) replied.

"Yes, says the whore in the midst of kicking ' _the strongest and best of them all's_ ' asses!"

"How troublesome. Can't we hurry up so I can capture him already?" Shikamaru interjected.

"Well then  _you_  hurry it up!" Jiraiya yelled.

Internally, everyone sighed at Jiraiya's childishness, especially Orochimaru, but using the opportunity, Orochimaru used his Multiple Striking Shadow Snakes technique. Numerous snakes emerged from his sleeves and aimed their way towards Tetsu, leaving him little time to react.

Tetsu watched as the horde of horror came after him. There was no where to jump or dodge since the other shinobi were desperate to capture him. For a split second, Tetsu wondered if this was his end and if it were just better to give in. If it weren't for the demonic voice screaming profanities at him, he's sure he would have given in by now.

_"There's no where else to go. They trapped be against the wall."_

_How pathetic you've become_

_So they've outnumbered you_

_Your answer is to quit and succumb?_

_"No, but—"_

_**Did you not argue you would not fail?** _

_**That you would SURVIVE?!** _

_**Allow me to proceed, for I shall prevail** _

_**For all you have done for all of us is deprive!** _

_"I'm so sick of your rhyming bullshit during the worst of times! Look, I'm not the smartest, but if you give me an idea then I'll execute the fuck out of it with a distraction, otherwise, shut the fuck up!"_

_I will find it upon myself to teach respect_

_One of these days_

_As if now, as you've said, you are to deflect_

_For I have thought of a plan that will leave you amazed._

" _Well what the hell is it already?"_

_We will need the assistance of Akuma_

" _And of the current predicament? All the snakes and being outnumbered part?"_

_Leave that to me_

_And no, I will not kill any of the humans_

" _Then have at it._ "

Kurama took possession of the body and re-transformed into the image of Mama. Like Tetsu, he used his hair to curl around himself like a shield. He could feel the snakes attacking the shield, trying to bury their way inside but he used his chakra to hold them off. With only a little time to work with, Kurama quickly morphed the shield into a ball, literally rolling himself towards the two summonings; he could actually hear Akuma's snarling and Habu's hissing as he neared them. When Kurama felt close enough, he unraveled his hair and instantly wrapped the hair around Habu. The snake tried resisting, but Kurama wasn't lenient with his mercy. Hardening the hair with more chakra, Kurama successfully wrapped Habu in a minature ball of hair, creating a reverse ball of spikes. Kurama could only smile once hearing the snake's cries of pain as he compressed the ball.

" _You said you wouldn't kill...,"_  Tetsu mentally chided.

_The humans._

_At least give me some blood_

Once Kurama was sure the snake was dead, he grabbed a hold of Akuma and whispered into his ear. At the same time, Orochimaru was livid at the vulgar defeat of his summoning and the others were either baffled or anxious. Just exactly what was it that they were dealing with here?!

"Choji, I'll use my shadow technique combined with your size-enhancing abilities as a distraction while Jiraiya-sama and Lynx close in on the target," Shikamaru said.

"Good plan, kid, let's do it!"

Choji enlarged his whole body and allowed Shikamaru to connect their shadows, giving him full reign to control his body. He moved forward where he saw the—now-blonde haired woman sitting by the big fox and positioned himself to attack. However, without anyone (not even Orochimaru) noticing, Kurama had balled up all of the previous snakes in a large hair ball and connected the ball to a long string of hair. Considering the fact that he was a powerful demon, it took no physical effort to pull the string and swing it above his head to twirl it like a toy. Choji could do little to prepare for the unleashing of the snakes when Kurama opened the ball. The moment truly felt like hell when the snakes rained upon them, yet, Sasuke and Jiraiya were still adamant about attacking and now only seemed like the perfect chance.

"You run forward, kid, and I'll throw you a bone."

Sasuke knew what he meant and nodded before he ran forward. As the snakes poured down, Sasuke inched his way closer to the target, determined to finally end this stupid cat and mouse game. He heard Jiraiya summoning one of his contracted frogs and demanding them to attack with an oil-based solution. As he closed in in attacking position, Sasuke noticed the female-wannabe staring at him with an eerie smile. He tried to decipher what sort of trap was waiting for him before he could attack, but Jiraiya already launched a huge stream of oil for Sasuke to light on fire. It was do or die. Using any one of his fire-based techniques, Sasuke lit the area on fire, blazing the scene with shades of orange and red.

"Did we get them?" Jiraiya yelled over the roar of the fire.

Still being able to sense their chakra, Sasuke activated his sharingan to prevent any unwelcomed surprises.  _What're you planning...?_  Aside from the fire, silence reigned on all sides, keeping Sasuke on edge. He motioned for Jiraiya to stay put and signed to the others to wait in their places for instructions. The silence was too suffocating.

Suddenly, a large figure burst through the flames, leaping over Sasuke's head. Sasuke, assuming Tetsu re-disguised himself as something else, went to attack him, only to notice the figure run away. The figure panted and growled with every movement it made, reminding Sasuke of the fight held at the village gate. Was this another clone?

"Don't let that thing escape! That could be him!" Sasuke shouted. He attempted to follow along but a sharp sting at the neck caught his attention. He could immediately feel blood running down his neck onto his shoulder.

"Now I wouldn't be doing that if I were you," a voice said. It sounded rough and foreign.

Hastily, Sasuke turned around to attack whoever it was behind him, but he halted when he didn't see a person, but instead, red fur. Slowly, he shifted his eyes upward and met face to face with the tip of a sword. On top of a large red fox—much bigger than the one fighting Habu before—sat a man. The fox was standing erect with all of its tails braided together to form one long tail that reached the ground while the man appeared to be a bit small in comparison. He had the infamous blonde hair and blue eyes, but his outfit consisted of long boots, tight black pants, and a tight white button up with the sheath to his sword strapped to his back.

"Who the fuck are you?" Sasuke growled, acknowledging that it wasn't Tetsu.

The man smiled as he tightened his hold on the sword. "Call me...Napo."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to original story: https(Colon)(Double slash)www(dot)fictionpress(dot)com(slash)u(slash)781436(slash)
> 
> or
> 
> http(colon)(double slash)www(dot)wattpad(dot)com(slash)user(slash)MarleneHenriquez


	19. They're All the Same

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!  
> Holy Jebus, I can’t apologize enough for the ridiculous amount of time I’ve been away. As you can imagine, there were tons of papers AND presentations due in a short span of time and I had little time to even think about my stories. The workload has decreased ten-fold—thank god!—but then the problem was I was left with very little motivation to write T_T. I’m hoping you guys are still with me and can still enjoy this crazy story of mine; like I’ve said before, no matter how long it takes, I’ll push to finish this story and my other ones.  
> With all of that being said, I still have the links at the bottom to my own original story if you want to check that out. As for the song of the shuffle it is Marian Hill- I Got It. This is a very sexy song and you should know it very well if you watch TV; it features in both the Taco Bell commercial and as the trailer song for The Longest Ride. The saxophone though….Anyway, give it a listen if you want to walk down the street with some extra spice and flare.  
> Furthermore, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!  
> Eggs and Bacon,  
> CrimsonNi

_The man smiled as he tightened his hold on the sword. “Call me...Napo.”_

 

          They barely managed to dodge the sudden lurch, but for Kiba, fear was a perfect motivator to move. Sai and Kiba jumped in opposite directions, unfortunately leaving Mama alone for that _monster_ to release. It was noted that Mama knew that creature and called it Squirt… _Was that a pun?_ Kiba wondered. Squirt unleashed a roar right before swinging his club of a hand at Mama. At first, his hand met resistance against the restraints Sai placed earlier but the force was too impactful and immediately shattered. Although this now meant that Mama was free, she still couldn’t move properly with the ink in her hair.

           “Squirt honey, Mr. Pale boy over there damaged my hair with this gunk. I can’t move unless I get rid of it.”

          Squirt stared as he heaved heavy patches of air in Mama’s face. “No worry,” he replied deeply. He suddenly opened his mouth and spewed bile down Mama’s tresses. The acidic liquid melted the ink and somehow left Mama’s hair intact, returning it to its golden shine.

          “What the…fuck?” Kiba whispered. The scene was much too ridiculous to believe, yet there it was, occurring before him. Looking at Sai, even he could tell that Sai was freaked out by what was happening and that wasn’t good—if even Sai was perplexed by battle, then that didn’t mean good odds.

          Regaining his senses, Sai at least understood that by strength alone, they were outnumbered. Whatever kind of creature that beast was, the female grew very confident with its presence, which meant it had strength she didn’t possess. In that case, they had to play this smart and attack with precision as opposed to just big explosions. Should he fight the beast then? That wouldn’t do; Kiba, as lovely as he is as a partner, wasn’t intellectual enough to battle against the female…she was of a different species. Damn, this didn’t look good.

          “Kiba-kun, we need to separate them. I will take care of the woman while you and Akumaru-kun fight together against the other thing.” Kiba simply nodded, not arguing against the plan. Either that meant he came to the same conclusions as Sai or he was simply obeying orders.

          The creature’s gurgling noises followed by Mama’s laughter gained their attention. The two were standing next to each other, Mama with a grin so wide and maniacal, a shiver ran down Kiba’s spine. “What’s taking so long, boys? What’re you talking about?”

          “It is of no concern to you. I do not know what is going on but this will end shortly here and now.”

          “How brave of you, Mr. Pale boy, but it’s a little fruitless don’t you think? Shouldn’t you honor your upcoming death a little better than that? Well, not that it matters; just for your bravery, I’ll make it a spectacular death! Trust me, you wouldn’t have it any other way.”

          Mama’s hair began to rattle and slither as if it had a mind of its own and moved towards Sai. It didn’t move with spectacular speed, in fact, it was as if it were taking its time. Almost as if it were toying with him.

          “Enough with your games!”

          “Don’t you just hate that? When you don’t know just what the fuck is going on?” Mama asked with laughter lacing her tone. Despite the suspiciousness of her words, it was too late for Sai to notice the trap; more hair was awaiting behind him, ready to ambush him. It wrapped around his limbs and neck, squeezing with a force that nearly caused Sai to black out. For any other shinobi, fear might have crippled them in this situation, but Sai was determined and _angry_. He didn’t want to lose and he wouldn’t, tailed beast or not. Despite not being able to use his arms, Sai cut his index finger with his thumb and pooled the blood on his palm to draw a miniature and distorted creature. He knew it wasn’t going to be fancy, but he just needed a moment, just a minute and he’d be able to turn the tables to his favor. Pumping his hand with some chakra as best he could, the little beast came to life and gnawed on the hair wrapped around Sai’s wrists; he didn’t need the most powerful techniques to break the hold, just to weaken it. However, he had to move fast since Mama was just standing there with a calm grin on her face. _What is she doing? Why isn’t she attacking?_

          With Mama being occupied with Sai, Squirt had enough common sense to know what he had to do. He zoned in on Kiba and salivated because of the adrenaline that coursed through his veins—he was excited to kill him. As he curled his teeth and snarled, foam lined the edges of his mouth, like that of a rabid dog, which Kiba could only stare at in disgust. So many questions kept arising through Kiba’s mind—the main one being if he could actually fight this thing—but seeing Sai fight against that beast of a woman only confirmed that there was no other choice. It was now or never.

          “C’mon Akumaru, we can take this bag of rocks out!”

          Akumaru barked in agreement. Getting into stance, the two were ready for whatever surprises Squirt was to unleash. Suddenly, Squirt pounced forward except it wasn’t where Kiba expected…he was aiming towards Sai. The beast moved with speed and unnatural grace leaving all parties to wonder where the hell the woman was—she had somehow disappeared under their noses.

          “SAI!” Kiba screamed. He wanted to go on to help except his sixth sense warned him that he was about to be attacked and sure enough, a whip of hair nearly stabbed him in the side. “”Gah...,” he grunted as a wound opened up.

          “Oh darn, just a little more and I could have ripped your insides out.”

          “You bitch!!”

          “Just make sure you spell that with a capital B,” Mama replied as she readied another pillar of hair to strike.

 

 

**Meanwhile…**

 

            “Are you another one of those clones?” Sasuke asked. He felt a different presence from this one than he did from the others he met so far.

            “We are not simply _clones_ , but a family-pane. Consider me the eldest.” The clone replied. His odd accent only made Sasuke like him less.

            “The eldest?” Sasuke questioned. He took another long look at Napo before smirking in his usual fashion even though one couldn’t tell with his mask on. “You look more like the youngest.”

            A hot rush of anger slithered down Napo’s spine, raising his temperature by a couple degrees. He narrowed his eyes and curled his lip in disgust. “I’d be careful in what I’d say next, if I were you-pane.”

            Deciding to just get to the point, Sasuke cared about something completely different. “Where’s the original? Where’s Tetsu?”

            “Ah, worry not-pane. Tetsu-sama is no longer a concern of yours.”

            Recognizing that he wasn’t getting anywhere with this “elder” clone, Sasuke tightened his stance to ready himself for whatever kind of battle this midget was willing to give. “You or Tetsu, it doesn’t matter; we’ll defeat all of you.”

            A smug smile accompanied Napo’s youthful face as he adjusted the reigns of his demon companion. “I respect your confidence! I shall enjoy beheading an opponent such as yourself-pane.”

            “I imagine that to be a little difficult for you, what with your _short_ stature…”

            Sasuke noticed the red flare that sparked across Napo’s eyes as he growled in anger—touchy subject apparently. With neither party wanting to converse any longer, Napo clicked his tongue and off his demon steed went, gaining some distance before sharply turning around to charge right back towards Sasuke. Sasuke wasted no time in activating his Sharigan and watched every movement Napo and the fox made. He paid close attention to the hand clutching the long silvery sword and watched as the hand rose to swing. What he hadn’t expected was for the sword to distort itself and sprout numerous silvery points that elongated into large spikes. With a sharp twist of his wrist, Napo swung with speed no normal person could wish to detect, but Sasuke caught the speed and dodged with minimal risk. Several times this pattern repeated until a frustrated Napo clicked his tongue and the fox demon placed distance between them again.

            “What’s wrong? Can’t play any longer?” Sasuke taunted.

            “A word of advice; those who speak with perverted superiority only fall that much deeper when proved inferior-pane.”

            That wasn’t the kind of response Sasuke expected which alerted him that something was going to happen…but _what_? “Be sure to pass on that piece of advice to Tetsu.”

            A moment passed before an ear-splitting grin cracked across Napo’s face. “Yes, I’ll be sure to do that, after of course, I tell him how I’ve successfully killed you-pane.”

            Suddenly, the ground shook with fervor and loud explosions boomed all around Sasuke. It didn’t matter where he moved to dodge, explosions kept going off beneath his feet; distracted by the sword and its spikes, Sasuke could not notice the small spritz of chakra Napo injected into the ground every time he swung his sword. After one explosion caused the debris to cut into Sasuke’s leg, Sasuke had to pause and reevaluate himself. He could hear Itachi’s voice goading him, asking him what it was he was doing. _What am I doing? Why am I still treating this guy like a normal criminal—he’s not. He murdered Kotetsu. He’s a high class criminal and the host of the 9-tails. He’s a monster that must be tamed._

            “I don’t think he’s completely perished, Kyo-pane.” Napo said to his demon steed. The fox huffed in agreement, swishing his tail in anticipation. “Here he comes.”

            From the dust and debris, an immense bout of chakra, shaped like an arm extended forward. Violet flames raged against any surface it touched and flared as the last set of explosions went off. Napo felt the urge to attack before he could see the rest of this ‘unknown’ but he knew better than to attack blindly; he had to wait for the right moment. He watched as the dust finally cleared off and slowly, more of the creature was revealed. Sasuke stood center of the humanoid creature surrounded by bones and dark chakra, glaring as he saw Napo standing opposite of him. Without sharing any dialogue, the two opponents charged at one another with Napo clicking his tongue and Sasuke manipulating the long limbs. Kyo ran with unimaginable speed, swerving left and right to dodge any attacks Sasuke thought to throw at them—sure enough, Sasuke commanded the arm to swing over Napo and Kyo to unleash a rain of fireballs. Their battlefield was painted like a scene from Hell with flames dancing all around them, burning everything it could touch. For a split moment, Sasuke wondered about all of the damage they caused to the area around them but his thoughts could only reach that far since a sudden stab through the shoulder distracted him from anything else. _But how?!_

            Looking at his wound, Sasuke saw the tip of a long sword being extracted and pulled back into the pit of flames that he thought to have doused Napo in. The movements of the sword reminded Sasuke of how Mama manipulated her hair. Silence was now commanding the minute, leaving Sasuke to hold his breath in anticipation for another attack. He could feel blood scorching his cool skin but it only served him as a reminder to keep alert. Several minutes passed in silence before Sasuke grew annoyed at these mental games and silence.

            “I haven’t got all day to play with you. Are you fighting or not?”

            On cue, Sasuke heard a sound within the flames although it wasn’t the sound of Napo directly responding. It was a loud metallic sound, almost as if it were rolling against the ground…

            He could then see the silhouette of something round coming forward. The flames were soon but a background image as a metal ball emerged ahead; Sasuke predicted that Napo was somehow inside of that thing. True enough, the metal ball’s surface began to waiver and fan open to reveal Napo still sitting on top of his steed with the hilt of his sword in his hand like one would hold an umbrella. All of the metal retracted back into its original form, the singular sword Napo has held since the beginning of battle.

            “So it is just like the female,” Sasuke muttered out loud.

            Napo quirked an eyebrow, at first not understanding what Sasuke had meant, but slowly piecing his words together. “Ah, yes, we do hold our specialties-pane. But mine is more of a hobby; see, I’ve never cared if I’m good at wielding a sword or not-pane. I’ve only cared if I could sharpen them to the very sharpest so I could stab people better-pane.” Shifting the hilt to gain a better hold, Napo was back in fighting stance with another one of his large grins on his face. “If you’re interested, I could show you exactly how good I am.”

 

 

**Much earlier….**

 

            Kurama said to run. He said Mama was in trouble. He said Tetsu-sama was in trouble! He said he had to hurry. He said there were bad people everywhere, ready to kill all of them. Tears began pricking the back of his eyes at the thought of getting in caught. He didn’t want Kurama mad at him—he was _really_ scary when he was mad. Kurama told him he couldn’t act stupid, that he had to be strong. _Really_ strong. Scary strong. He hated being that strong because it always left the taste of blood in his mouth and his head would hurt for a _really_ long time. His skin would burn and smell _really, really_ bad. He didn’t want to do any of this. But Tetsu-sama was in trouble, he had no choice. Mama needed him, she was alone, by herself, trapped by all of those bad people. He was going to help her. He loved her, she was such a good person and good for Tetsu-sama. He was going to save her. He felt his skin prick with heat as his body morphed into a big heaving demon, littered with boils and pus-filled acne aligned all over his back. His teeth sharpened into rows of fangs, his eyes into red slits that resembled his authoritarian, and his hands and feet into large clubs that could snap a tree trunk in two.

 

_Find her_

_Save her_

_Free her_

**_KILL THEM ALL_ **

 

            “ _Yes.”_

            He felt more than heard the sounds of explosions going on around him. He knew he was released; he could smell the scent of fire and blood. He took a long breath and readied himself to move. He could feel it, the atmosphere was tense, like a war zone. There was a slight touch upon his arm that startled him and he would have shouted if not for the two icy orbs that glared at him to calm. 

            “Are you understanding of the assignment that was given to you?” That all too familiar voice asked of him. He didn’t like Napo, not at all. Napo was mean, a sadist, a _real_ monster. And his eyes always frightened him; they were too concentrated…too blue.

            “ **Yes** ,” his heavy voice replied. He almost puked for how vile this voice sounded. He hated this voice. It wasn’t his voice and it wasn’t nice.

            “Very good-pane. I will provide an opening for you; you will use this opening to escape and head towards Mother to save her-pane. And one last thing, Kurama-sama has ordered Tetsu-sama to fall back so I could fight in his place; in the midst of fleeing, you are to resummon Tetsu-sama for him to properly escape; once he is safe, Kurama-sama will call for our retreat-pane. Is this understood?”

            “ **Yes** ,” he replied again.

            Within seconds, Napo paved an opening for him just as he promised and without question, he busted through and raced away from the chaos around him to find Mama. He could hear many footsteps behind him but that only pushed for him to try harder or Kurama would be mad. Even though it hurt, his body liked running this fast and by now, he could barely hear the people chasing after him. _Now, now will be good_. Multitasking wasn’t one of his strengths, but he worked hard in running _really_ fast and summoning Tetsu-sama. The moment was quick for Tetsu-sama as he regained his sense of time and location; the two looked at each other and Tetsu-sama nodded in understanding of the situation.

            “Be careful, please,” he pleaded as he sped off in the opposite direction.

            He was left alone again but now he had a new focus to worry about. Saving Mama. He no longer cared how much he hated it, all he knew was that it was there; a very big and demanding bloodlust. He raced even faster because he could barely smell her. Mama was close. _Find her. Save her. **FREE HER**_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to original story: https(Colon)(Double slash)www(dot)fictionpress(dot)com(slash)u(slash)781436(slash)  
> or  
> http(colon)(double slash)www(dot)wattpad(dot)com(slash)user(slash)MarleneHenriquez


	20. Which Way?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!  
> Yay, another chapter! So excited, I got a bunch of news to tell you; first off, let me start out by saying thank you so much for the wonderful reviews that I’ve been receiving. You don’t understand how amazingly motivating and awesome it feels to read those responses to continue and do more <3\. So thank you! Secondly, I updated another chapter to my original story and even added a surprise prologue to another story I am writing! It’s called E.V.E. and it’s definitely different from a lot of other stuff I’ve been writing so if you want, check it out (links down below). Lastly, my old lady got offered an amazing job in Texas and she seems super interested so I might be moving to the big and only, TEXAS—yeehaw! (oh God…)  
> Anyway, first song of the shuffle is my new craze addiction from Major Lazer called Lean On. IDK but that song is awesome sauce so watch the MV when you get a chance.  
> P.S.: (WARNING) shit gets dark in the 1st half of this chapter and many of you may not like me for that so I am sorry. Also, the lack of name usage may be confusing for some of you and that’s because it’s temporarily looked at from the pov of a random passerby even though this is a 3rd person omniscient pov.  
> Furthermore, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!  
> Eggs and Bacon,  
> CrimsonNi

_He raced even faster because he could barely smell her. Mama was close. Find her. Save her. **FREE HER**._

 

 

            The earth quaked beneath her feet with each resounding collusion from the two opposing forces. It was a surprise there was even any earth left to flip over and crush since their battle began. Every time they collided, her little baby would wail in plea to stop the terrifying noises.

            “Ssh, it’s okay Sao, it’s okay. Mommy’s right here.”

            Another ground shaking attack had Sao disregarding the comfort. The mother wanted to cry alongside her child, but she knew this wasn’t the time or the place to give up. Looking at her red-faced child again, she shakily stood up and made her way across her kitchen where they were holed up. _I have to get to a safer place_. Escaping out of a back door exit located in the kitchen, the mother simply ran with no urge to look back. She clutched baby Sao as close as she could into her own chest and prayed that Sao would come out of this unscathed. Her legs shook, but whether in fear or because of the unstable ground she treaded on, she wasn’t sure. Nevertheless, she kept running straight forwards, uncaring of the direction she was headed in or where she would end up. From what she could see, the area all around her was destroyed greatly, leaving little to salvage, and there didn’t seem to be any other civilians aside from herself and Sao. Did they all manage to escape in time?

            As if to answer her question, the mother suddenly fell harshly to the ground with Sao luckily remaining unharmed. She did begin to cry, however, in acknowledgment of the fall. Looking to see what may have caused their fall, the mother saw a big and darkened log laying on the ground. _Why is there a log here of all places?!_ However, the mother could immediately see that that was no log…it was a charred human body. Some poor soul must have been caught in the battle and died here alone. The mother could not help the stream of tears that cascaded down her cheeks. She checked to see if Sao was hurt anywhere and thankfully, she wasn’t, but as if she too were traumatized by the scene, Sao let out a loud wail. Perhaps she was weeping for this unknown loss too.

            “What have we here-pane?” Someone said behind her.

            The mother swiveled to look behind her to see a handsome young boy standing with a bent sword in his hand. He was grinning as if there wasn’t a single thing wrong with the world, despite standing on burnt ground. “W-Who are you?” She asked but her voice was trembling too much to make much sense in addition to Sao’s loud crying.

            Somehow, the young boy heard her. “Would it make a difference? Would this day of hell change its glow if I were either good or bad-pane?”

            “Stay away!” The mother shouted, not trusting this foreigner’s riddles. She tried to move away but her hand touched the charred body which sparked revulsion of a violent kind. Snatching her hand away, she looked back to the young boy only to see him chuckling at her.

            “Such beautiful innocence-pane. I love it. Come,” he said as he extended a hand. “We shall consummate on this land and mark today as your awakening-pane!”

            “Wha—“ Baffled by his words, the mother tried fleeing once again, but felt something holding her in place. Looking at where the source was coming from, she saw a metallic band around one of her ankles.

            “But first I must rid you of your weight-pane. I refuse to father a bastard child, you see. But if you still want a seed, I shall provide my own in its place.”

            “What are you saying?! Stay away, you monster! Let me go!”

            The young boy frowned and tsked under his breath. “Well that won’t do-pane.” He then pulled at his sword which the mother had now understood was connected to the metal band around her ankle. _When had he stretched it without me seeing it?_ With a hard tug, the mother was pulled towards the young boy; she shouted and pleaded but the band only pulled her faster. In no time at all, the mother was lain before the young boy with Sao still struggling in her arms and crying. The young boy leaned down and effortlessly plucked Sao out of her mother’s arms.

            “Please, stop, what are you doing?!”

            He flicked the hilt of the sword and the metal responded by sprouting extra points that stretched to keep the mother in place. She screamed her lungs out, demanding for the boy to release her daughter, but he ignored her and continued to dangler Sao as she wailed for her mother. “See, the real problem here is this attachment you harbor for this bag of flesh-pane. You are only resisting me because you value this thing’s life. Perhaps, I need to demonstrate how mistaken you are in your choices-pane.” He flicked the hilt again and another spike sprouted out, only to contort itself until it was pointed at Sao’s neck.

            “SAO!!!” The mother screamed just as a loud explosion could be heard some several feet away.

            The young boy frowned again but the lines were much deeper this time. “Kyo! You still haven’t managed to kill him-pane?!”

            “No, he hasn’t,” a deep voice grumbled beside him.

            The young boy turned to face the voice and could only see the large purple fist aimed at him. Although he was hit, he had managed to take some of the hit without it harming Sao—somehow. The mother looked to see who it was that attacked the young boy but could only see a tall figure surrounded by a purple barrier.

            “Are you alright?” The deep voice asked her.

            Shaking herself out of shock she remembered that the main issue wasn’t herself but Sao! “He has me stuck here and he has my baby! Save her!” She felt uncertain in asking another stranger to save her child, but it was a gamble she needed to take.

            At the mention of her baby, the mother looked back towards where the young boy had fallen with her child. Although, he was now standing with Sao still clutched in his grasp, crying as loud as she could. “You shouldn’t ask him of such impossible favors-pane. And I’ll tell you why; it won’t make much of a difference.”

            He clicked his tongue and within seconds, heavy patted sounds could be heard. The noise was coming from a large red demon running towards them at an unimaginable speed. The purple figure seemed to understand what was going on before the mother. “ **STOP!** Don’t move!!” He commanded a huge purple arm to launch another punch directed at the demon but it seemed to have performed some kind of magic since it used its tails to jump over the arm and leap even closer to the young boy.

            It was as if time had frozen over as the mother watched the young boy simply toss Sao into the air with very little effort or care. As she flipped a couple angles in the air, the large demon, which the mother could now note was a fox, snatched her child into its mouth. When it gracefully landed on its four paws, everyone watched in horror as the fox violently shook his head back and forth as if it were fussing with a rag doll. Sao’s crying had instantly vanished.

            “S-Sao….My baby….nonononono—SAO!” The mother wept.

            “That’s twice now!” The purple man shouted at the young boy.

            He grinned despite the sobbing mother and the rage-filled man screaming at him. “Yes, and there’ll be many more if you don’t cease your chase. That child would have lived had you not intervened-pane. As for you, my Lady, you see-pane? Good or bad makes no difference, hell is hell no matter what.”

            The purple man screamed as if his very spirit was wounded by the young boy’s actions and lunged forward with his whole purple skeletal form mimicking.

 

~*NUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNU*~

 

            He had made it a great distance since separating from Squirt. It was a dangerous maneuver for sure, but well worth the risk. Now with such a gap, he was going to make it free and make sure he’d never come as close as 50 yards from this place. The unfortunate thing was that the Fire nation was a huge place so he had a lot of running and hiding to do, but he’d manage. Exhaustion was nipping at the edges of his feet every time he made another leap. Tetsu desperately wanted to stop running and rest, but he couldn’t, not now. Taking a whiff of his surroundings, he knew that things were going awry somewhere; the air just smelled too bloody and rotten. It made him think of how Mama and Squirt were fairing or worse, Napo. A small shiver coursed through Tetsu at the possible things Napo could be doing at the moment. Napo was one of his more dangerous clones with a temper that wasn’t easily mollifiable. That’s to be expected though if a clone were to be created through Kurama’s direct anger. What saddened Tetsu even more was the thought of Napo’s evilness being thrown at the handsome guy he was enchanted by. Despite being his enemy, Tetsu didn’t want for that guy to die all because of him.

            The scent in the air suddenly shifted and Tetsu could sense several powerful forces heading close to him. Stopping at a tree branch for a moment, he tried to get a better sense of who was chasing him but it was hard to tell from his location. Were these reinforcements or the same shinobi from earlier? Instead of waiting until they got too close to tell, Tetsu hopped off the branch and backtracked in the same direction he had come from; this was another gamble for him to take but if he backtracked far enough and then changed directions then those following his scent would be confused. Most likely there was more than two shinobi chasing after him so they would split up to try and catch him but it was best to deal with smaller numbers than all of them all at once. Perhaps he should summon another clone…? No, if he did that, that would only waste more of his own chakra and give too much leeway for Kurama to take head. Seeing a crooked tree that he had passed earlier, Tetsu deemed he retraced his steps far enough and made a sharp turn in another direction, speeding off as if his hide were on fire. Panting and running seemed to be the only function running through Tetsu’s mind.

_I sense a misfortune ahead for you_

_I should take lead or I’ll be captured too_

            “ _No, I already gave you control earlier but it’s my turn now. You’ll just go off on a killing spree if I let you.”_

_So stubborn you are_

_Even though you are up against the wall_

_At this rate, we won’t make it far_

_And you’ll be sole reason why we’ll fall_

            “ _You are not omniscient, Kurama! You’re just a trickster with bloodlust and I won’t fall for it. I was vulnerable before but I’m sure now, I’ll make it free!_”

            The demon chuckled, raising goosebumps all across Tetsu’s skin.

_Aha, yes, then have you noticed that they’ve caught up?_

            “What?!” As Kurama had said, Tetsu could smell several scents almost on top of him; how did they get so close without him noticing?! Panic rose deep within his veins.

_Should I intervene now?_

            Kurama’s voice was so mocking, Tetsu wanted to find anyway to hurt him but the fear tickling his spine was too overpowering. Gritting his teeth, Tetsu once again gave reigns over to Kurama and watched as his human body transformed into that of a monster. The moment Kurama gained control, he sped off with such speed that Tetsu’s primary fear almost felt silly now. The scents that were sensed before vanished and Tetsu mentally relaxed into thinking they were free once again, however, he scowled when he realized he had to thank Kurama for saving him not once, but twice! Listening to his thoughts, Tetsu heard Kurama mentally laughing, only causing Tetsu to resent the demon more.

            A short period of time passed as Kurama raced through the forest with his demonic speed and although Tetsu was grateful that the danger has long passed, he wondered how long Kurama would have main possession of his body. He worried from personal experience from allowing Kurama too long control; his body would take too long to revert back to his human state leaving him with long claws and dagger-shaped teeth. Even his hair would remain longer than usual.

 _For a bit longer, you spoiled child_  

            “ _I just don’t want you to get carried away. Where are we headed anyway?_ ”

            Kurama did not answer him. He just continued to run, ignoring Tetsu’s constant insults and questions. At one point, Tetsu finally got the message and remained quiet, allowing Kurama room to take them wherever it was he planned for them to be. However, when a certain scent began to waft its way over to Tetsu’s senses, something didn’t seem right. It was faint but pretty familiar considering.

            “ _….Kurama?_ ”

            Again, the demon did not reply. As he sped forward, the scent slowly became stronger. Confusion was the only thing Tetsu could feel; none of this was making any sense to him. Kurama suddenly pushed through a thick wall of bushes, leaping into what almost felt like a completely different world. The scent was now everywhere and with good reason—the cause of it was standing but a few feet away from them.

            “T-Tetsu-sama?! What are you doing here?!”

            “ _Mama? Kurama, what the fuck are we doing back here?!_ ”

            Kurama and Tetsu were now standing in the middle of another battlefield with Mama and demonic Squirt standing charge. Tetsu noted there were also two other shinobi and a dog that clearly were in cahoots with all of the other shinobi they have been fighting with. Just what the fuck…?

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to original story: http(colon)(double slash)bit . ly(slash) 1LJyqNY  
> or  
> http(colon)(double slash)w .tt(slash) 1cj6Qul


	21. They Got Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!  
> Wow, summer break is awesome; another chapter! 
> 
> Furthermore, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!  
> Eggs and Bacon,  
> CrimsonNi

_Just what the fuck…?_

 

           

            She couldn’t believe her eyes. There before her, in his more demonic form, was Tetsu-sama. What was he doing here? She thought he had escaped to safety; that was the whole point of the plan, of all this fighting! Perhaps Kurama-sama wanted to outnumber the enemy…? But that didn’t make any sense, _he was supposed to have escaped!_ Realizing that there was no point in questioning everything, Mama wrapped her hair around a couple of nearby branches and used the momentum to leap forward.

            “Kurama-sama, we have everything under control. You should continue on escaping.”

            “ **They have sent reinforcements** ,” he replied with the shake of his head.

            Mama was now even more confused. “Even more reason to run! We can hold them off—“

            She was suddenly cut off when Kurama wrapped one human-like claw around Mama’s neck. She coughed and choke, trying to pry his prickling fingers off of her, but to no avail. Tetsu, mentally witnessing the scene, thrashed against Kurama, snarling at his whimsical behavior.

            “ _What are you doing? Stop it! Have you gone mad?!”_

            Kurama forced Mama to face him until her gasping breath was only an inch away from his face. She looked right at him with a mixture of fear and confusion. “ **Do you understand now**?” He asked.

            After letting go of her throat, he gave her a few moments to catch her breath. “Y-Yes, Kurama-sama. Forgive me.”

            “ **Then see to it**.”

            Still trembling, she nodded and resumed focus to her primary objective; fighting alongside Squirt against the other two shinobi. Tetsu was beyond vexed.

            _“Kurama, what the fuck are you playing at? What did you tell her?! Tell me something, Goddammit!”_

_Remain quiet, you child_

_Leave this battle to me_

_A victor will soon be decided_

_And it will be in thanks to me_

            “ _You narcissistic fuck! Fuck you! I hate you!”_

            Kurama laughed at the vulgarity being thrown at him. Of course Tetsu did not agree to his plans, that was to be expected. In any other circumstance, it would have riled him up and given him a headache, but today, he was enjoying it. Eventually, the kid would see it his way. Until then, he had to wait it out.

            Kiba and Sai, witnesses to the whole scene, were beyond baffled. They didn’t know who the original was, but by the looks and the reactions from the female clone, that was evidence enough that this new being was higher ranked. Clearly, the very Tetsu they were looking for. It was understood that the female was holding them off so that the original could escape…then why was he here? They were already having trouble with the duo they were dealing with now; how could they deal with him too? Not to mention that he didn’t even look human, but like some distorted canine-hybrid of sorts.

            “Sai, what the fuck do we do now?” Kiba whispered.

            Sai took a short look at Kiba, aware that he was battered from holding off when the female had attacked him. He was littered with cuts around the torso area, bruises from being thrown around, and his skin was spotted with bloody patches that dried in numerous places. His fellow comrade was near or already at his limit. He wasn’t fairing any better; as cunning as he personally was, the brute strength of that child-like demon on top of the female toying with him was exhausting. Looking at all of these circumstances, what could they do differently now that they couldn’t do before? However, Sai hated giving up and most of all, he only did all of this not only as a shinobi obeying his Hokage, but as a son proving his father wrong.

            “We are going to fight, Kiba-kun,” he replied matter-of-factly.

            Kiba looked at him as if he had lost his mind. “Are you awake? The problem is we _can’t_ fight them—“

            “I disagree. We can fight them. We might not win, but we can fight them.”

            _So Sai has lost his mind…_ Then again, he wasn’t entirely wrong. Before being recently interrupted by the new arrival, they were just fighting off the two opponents despite coming to terms that they weren’t any closer to winning. A long groan escaped Kiba, realizing that this was it. He was going to die in some muggy forest with the worst circus act as his final gig. “Oh, _fuck_ you, Sai!”

            “I’ve thought about it too, Kiba-kun. I am saddened I hadn’t gotten the chance to let you try.”

            A dark blush burned Kiba’s face when he saw the sincerity on Sai’s face. “BAKA! How can you think about that kind of stuff at a time like this?!”

            “I’ve read in a book somewhere that your life and thoughts flash before your eyes in a critical situation, does it not?”

            “That’s only when you experience a near-death experience! You haven’t been hit yet!”

            “Oh my God, will you two just bang already?!” A female voice shouted.

            Both Sai and Kiba looked to see the female facing them, expecting to see her trademark smirk. Instead, she was standing a few feet away with a scowl on her face. She looked peeved and generally unhappy, in comparison to before, at least.

            “What’s it to you? Weren’t you too busy getting chocked by your pimp over there?” Kiba’s inner coward screeched at his own stupidity for actually saying that out loud. _You dumb piece of shit! She’s going to kill you now! Either her or that **THING** over there that’s glaring at you for saying that! WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?!_

            Mama’s scowl deepened. “You’ll regret that. Squirt, rip him in two!” Just as Squirt roared in acknowledgement, another disturbance interrupted them. Coming now from the northern side, four men busted through another wall of bushes. They were all tall but two were more rounded compared to their lanky counterparts. One man had long, white spikey hair and red robing, another with similarly long black hair, although his was more like black silk. He was pale, almost greyish like with some thin common clothing. The third male had his brown hair up into a ponytail; he was more on the thin side but his fishnet attire gave him more of a bulkier look. The final male was the biggest in width more than in height, but he looked solid and more compact. His hair was as wild as the painted patterns on his face and his armor gave him a more threatening look.

            “Who the fuck are you people?” Mama questioned.

            Jiraiya, who had stepped up upon seeing the beautiful women, glared at her as darkly as he could. Which wasn’t much since Jiraiya could never stay angry too long at a woman…

            “Don’t play your games! We all know it’s you disguising yourself as a woman!”

            “Jiraiya, you idiot, the real Tetsu is standing over there,” Orochimaru pointed out. All three men followed his line of vision and saw the same person they fought before at the town but noticed some major differences.

            “Then who’s this beauty?! You mean…she’s real?!” Jiraiya smiled with drool leaking out from the side of his mouth upon giving a lengthier look at Mama. He eyed her from the bottom up, loving every inch of her tan, sweaty, lustful body.

            “Keep staring at me like that, old man, and I’ll make sure you won’t live to see your next birthday.”

            “Ooh, feisty, I love that. C’mon baby, show me what you got!”

            Mama turned to look at Kurama and he—not so subtly—nodded at her. Whatever they silently conveyed to each other, Mama knew the message and nodded in return. She then pumped chakra into her hair and expanded it until it was a massive mass of blonde hair. Many of the ends twisted together and formed needle-like pillars, hovering in the air until Mama waved them down to strike at Jiraiya. As those two fought, Squirt seemed unable to decide on whether to help or fight off the rest of the enemies. He felt a sense of duty come over him at seeing Mama struggle and he wanted nothing more than to protect her.

            “ **Squirt** ,” a heavy voice called. But he couldn’t. That voice didn’t need to yell to get his attention; he knew it far too well. “ **Fight the fat one.** ”

            Chouji balked but then puffed up in anger. His face was turning as red as his armor. Shikamaru groaned but it wasn’t sure whether at his friend’s overreaction or at Kurama’s mistake in saying the ‘F’ word.

            “Chouji, don’t get so riled up.”

            “Shikamaru…I’m not _fat_. I’m just big-boned.

            “I know that, so then don’t let it get to you. He’s just trying to mess with you.” _Man, how troublesome._

            Chouji paid little mind and stepped forward to face this second beast. He took a look at his opponent and wasn’t too excited upon seeing the scarred and boiled skin. Even from how far they stood from one another, Chouji could smell the monster’s burning skin. Despite that, he was ready to fight. He had to; for his honor and his family’s; because they weren’t fat, dammit, they were big-boned. The two stared for a couple seconds longer before Squirt unleased an animalistic growl and Chouji his own personal man-howl. They then charged at one another, colliding in a vicious manner that left the remaining observers flinching.

            “ **Now that leaves you remaining four**.” Orochimaru, Shikamaru, Sai, and Kiba all looked at Tetsu. From the way he spoke, it sounded as if he were standing right next to them, but in fact, he was still across the field a long ways from them. They all secretly wondered how he could sound so clear in all of the chaos. “ **Those two** ,” pointing to Sai and Kiba.” **Are to remain where they are. I’ll allow them rest. As for you** ,” now pointing to Shikamaru. “ **I sense little chakra reserves so you will act as fighter B; you will only jump in when needed. That leaves you** ,” now looking at Orochimaru. “ **You will be my fighter A. Any questions**?”

            Surprisingly, no one objected. Kiba was relieved that he didn’t have to lift a finger and Sai, although not too happy with being told what to do, was happy to get a breather. Shikamaru didn’t really care because to be quite frank, he was going to do that anyway. Orochimaru was the only one who seemed deterred by how cocky Tetsu was talking to him. Something didn’t seem quite right.

            “Who exactly are you?”

            “ **You ask now? But you were so familiar with my body last night…** ”

            “No, I recall being more acquainted with the howling bitch. I was nowhere near intoxicated enough to confuse that person with you.”

            Kurama did _not_ like to be one-upped in any category, especially in wits. He was going to slowly kill this fool, or at least he wanted to but that didn’t coincide with time by this point. For that alone, this man lucked out. Meanwhile, however, Tetsu was FURIOUS. Not only was Kurama secretly dictating shit with the clones, but he was deciding his own matches, forgetting that they were supposed to be escaping! But no matter how loud or hard he screamed, it all went to deaf ears. Kurama was now focused on Orochimaru and for some reason, that didn’t sit well with Tetsu.

            He witnessed Orochimaru get into his own fighting stance while Kurama flexed his chakra, causing it to leak out through his skin, forming a familiar fox-shaped cloak. The three other shinobi that weren’t fighting looked in awe, but Tetsu could also see their bodies slightly trembling from the evil feel of the red chakra.

            “ **Forgive me, you clearly witnessed my more vulnerable side. I can assure you, you will _never_ see that side of me again** ,” Kurama growled.

            “You shouldn’t make such rash decisions,” Orochimaru said while chuckling. “Since you were clearly enjoying it.”

            Kurama let his anger get the better of him as he let out some inhuman growl before he pounced forward. The cloak forced his body to run like that of a fox as opposed to a human, which gave him unimaginable speed. Orochimaru didn’t let their last encounter deter him from pulling his arms into his sleeves to allow the horde of snakes to come pouring out. Perhaps their speed couldn’t match the fox, but they still managed to slither quickly enough to cover the entire area between them.

            _Same tricks, huh?_ Kurama thought. He envisioned himself landing right in the middle of the snake pit, smashing some of their skulls and using his chakra to kill off the rest. However, he was not expecting for Orochimaru to wordlessly raise his arms and have all of the snakes open their mouths to unveil arrows in each one. _Clever_. The first wave of snakes fired simultaneously, unleashing a flood of arrows. How they fired with enough force and accuracy was something Kurama had to wonder for another time. Not that it mattered; Kurama simply swished his tail and unleashed his own wave of ammunition—fire. The unfortunate thing about big techniques like that is that it creates a lot of smoke and debris, making it harder to detect any immediate form of retaliation. Orochimaru knew this. He immediately ordered his second wave of snakes to fire. Kurama had little difficulty in dodging or protecting himself however, that was with the assumption that these were ordinary arrows. Some of them were, but the rest were some specialized material that pierced through his chakra cloak! What was worse was that their tips were soaked in poisonous venom. Kurama grunted as one of the arrows hit him in the arm.

            “That type of poison usually takes a couple minutes to settle in before it numbs your whole system. Of course, if you move around too much, it’ll travel all the quicker. Don’t worry, though, that amount of dosage won’t kill you.”

            Kurama looked at Orochimaru, noting how immensely smug he was. He couldn’t wait to wipe it off. He began to chortle but containing his laughter in for too long only made him want to laugh louder. Orochimaru’s smile was now gone. “ **That’s a cute attempt, dumbass, but you assume too much. Poison has no effect on me**.” As if to prove his point, Kurama pulled out the arrow from his arm and discarded it as if it really were just a cheap trinket.

            “I should rephrase my first question; _what_ exactly are you?”

            “ **Lesser than a god, greater than a human**.”

            Kurama wasted no more time in lunging forward, this time lowering his body closer to the ground to gain more speed. He wanted to latch his mouth onto this man, anywhere, it didn’t matter, as long as he caught him. He wanted to reenact how he killed that lowly guard back at the village.

            “ _No! Stop, Kurama, stop killing people!_ ” Tetsu screamed. Kurama paid no heed.

            He closed in on Orochimaru, his mouth already wide open ready to catch any bout of flesh he could. But just as he wrapped one claw around Orochimaru’s forearm, he was suddenly stopped. He couldn’t move. The sensation suddenly felt extremely familiar.

            “ **Fighter B!!** ” Kurama snarled.

            “I thought it was time to jump in,” Shikamaru replied, smirking as he witnessed the furious look on Kurama’s face.

            “ **When I break free, I will rip your insides out from your mouth and make sure you are conscious for it!** ”

            He struggled against the hold, knowing that Shikamaru wasn’t strong enough to hold him for long. He wasn’t completely wrong as Shikamaru began sweating from trying to keep his fingers locked for the seal.

            “Orochimaru-sama, this would be a great time to do something before he gets out and rips my insides out from my mouth!” Shikamaru said through gritted teeth.

            Orochimaru, who was impressed by Shikamaru’s impressive timing, snapped out of his momentary pause and readied his fingers for a Five Finger Seal. As all tips of his fingers began glowing a bright blue, he approached Kurama, apt to slam them into his abdomen. Unfortunately, the timing was a bit too late; Kurama shook free, thwarting Shikamaru back a couple steps.

            “I thought you had him,” Orochimaru chided.

            “Well I thought you’d be faster than that!” _Fucking old man_.

            Just as Shikamaru was planning on repeating his clever attack, he was suddenly tackled onto the ground with a _very_ angry beast on top of him. The demonic red eyes were enough to tell him he was going to die. Kurama opened his mouth and positioned his head so he could rip Shikamaru’s neck off, but he couldn’t get the chance when a slimy snake wrapped its way around his own neck. Shikamaru could see Orochimaru holding on the one end of the snake, pulling hard enough to get Kurama’s weight off of him. He didn’t have to be told twice, he immediately began shuffling away.

            “Shikamaru-san, now would be a great time to do something before he pulls away and kills us both.”

            “How does Jiraiya-sama put up with you?!” The normally quiet man screamed. He was fed up with this troublesome shit.

            All of a sudden, Shikamaru heard Kiba’s dog, Akumaru barking incessantly. The dog sounded as if it were being poked by some hot iron rod. Chancing a look, Shikamaru saw the dog barking at some random direction with his tail and ears pointed straight up. At a time like this, he shouldn’t be distracted but something told him that this was pretty important.

            “Akumaru, what’s wrong? What’s over there?” Kiba demanded, trying to calm his dog.

            It suddenly clicked and a smile was Shikamaru’s only reaction. “Let him go, Orochimaru-sama.”

            Still struggling with trying to keep Kurama contained, Orochimaru was puzzled. “Have you hit your head…?

            “No, I’m still coherent but regardless, you should let him go. He won’t kill us.”

            “ **The…fuck I won’t** ,” Kurama struggled to say.

            “What makes you so certain?”

            Shikamaru smiled again and just pointed in the direction Akumaru was still barking at. Just as Orochimaru was about to ask, an obnoxiously green figure sprouted forward.

            “YOSH!!!!” He screamed and zeroed in on the scary looking person that was being choked by a snake…? Just what the hell happened? Nevertheless, Lee wasn’t one to ask those kinds of questions and simply charged ahead. Orochimaru didn’t have to be told a third time; he let go of the snake and allowed Rock Lee to handle the rest.

            Lee landed a solid kick into Kurama’s rib cage, causing several major cracks and breaks. Kurama couldn’t help but keel over and spit out blood from the violent attack. Due to his brief moment of discombobulation, Tetsu found that to be the perfect moment to take his body back; so he did. Kurama was mentally thrown back into his cage while Tetsu regained awareness of his body, feeling the horrible sensations that his body just endured. Everyone immediately noticed the cloak and general appearance vanish into thin air, leaving a normal looking person behind.

            “Yo!” One voice greeted, now passing over through the same direction that Lee had come from.

            “Kakashi-sensei, could you have been any slower?” Shikamaru said with a relieved sigh.

            “Maa, my bad. We…got a little lost.”

            Orochimaru, Shikamaru, Sai, Kiba, and even Akumaru all looked at the three shinobi that just arrived in shock. Neji, who was right behind Kakashi, looked down in what appeared to be utter shame.

            “Lee ran in the wrong direction; we had to catch him before turning back to here.” No longer being able to stand the dumbfounded stares, Neji approached Lee, who was holding Tetsu down. The person was struggling to stand, still coughing up blood every time he moved. _Perhaps I should block his chakra channels before taking him back_. “Lee, get a better hold of him.”

            “It would be better to use a Five Finger Seal mark to disable him from accessing the demon’s chakra,” Orochimaru added.

            Neji nodded, agreeing that that technique would be very appropriate to use. “Yes, I should corrupt some chakra points and then you can use your seal; it should hold him off until we get back to the village.”

            Lee held Tetsu’s upper body, leaving his legs to weakly kick out as he continued to struggle free. Neji hovered over him, using his infamous Byakugan to learn of what points were best to hit. Before he landed his first hit, both Lee and Neji could faintly hear the person below them say something. Looking at Tetsu’s face, they could see pure fear in his eyes, making Lee and Neji confused.

            “Maybe he’s afraid you’re going to kill him?” Lee inquired. “Ssh, don’t worry, Criminal-san, we won’t kill you. Just arrest you.”

            But Tetsu still looked frightened as Neji neared. He mumbled again, this time having Neji and Lee lean in closer for a better listen. “A……A-Akat..suki.”

            “Akatsuki?”

            “Yeah, that’s what I heard.” Lee agreed.

            “We’ll investigate it later, just get on with it,” Orochimaru ordered.

            Even though Neji didn’t appreciate the rudeness, he agreed to hurry and tackled several points within seconds. The process was painless, but Tetsu grunted anyway, feeling each hit as if it were asphyxiating him. Orochimaru then approached and readied his fingers once again for the seal. As he stabbed his fingers into Tetsu’s stomach, he felt a hand weakly grab a hold of his own; the owner was Tetsu with a pleading look.

            “Lesser than a god and now lesser than a human.”

            Whatever Tetsu was going to say—if he could say it—died on his lips right as he passed out. Once his head slumped to the side, both Mama and Squirt poofed into thin air.

            “NOOO! I was still researching her!” Jiraiya screamed from afar. Orochimaru shook his head at his friend’s stupidity.

            “They got him, you idiot!” kiba yelled. He then processed his own words and grinned as if he were just told it was his birthday. “THEY GOT HIM”

 

**Meanwhile…**

 

            Napo straddled Sasuke with a sword in his hand, struggling to plunge it through his neck. Sasuke was still so strong even after all he went through and survived.

            “I’m going to kill you-pane!”

            “Fuck…you!”

            They grunted trying to one up the other but at the moment, they were of equal strength. Somehow, Napo managed to loosen one hand to punch Sasuke in the face and lower the sword by a couple centimeters. The point was now just poking Sasuke’s neck, needing only a little push to plunge downward, when suddenly, Napo stopped.

            “No…,” he whispered.

            Before Sasuke could process what was going on, Napo disappeared, leaving a cloud of white smoke that vanished into the air.

          

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to original story: http(colon)(double slash)bit . ly(slash) 1LJyqNY  
> or  
> http(colon)(double slash)w .tt(slash) 1cj6Qul


	22. What's the Plan?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!  
> Whew, another chapter is now complete! Summer is going kind of fast for me which I’m still not sure if that’s a good thing or not haha. So many things going on; summer classes, my younger siblings graduating, the big family move, and what college I may be transferring to. Crazy. Anyway, so major things happened last chapter—the climactic end to Tetsu’s capture—so now we move on to the second act of the story! Are you ready?  
> Furthermore, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!  
> Eggs and Bacon,  
> CrimsonNi

There was so much pain. He could recall the last time he felt such a mixture of unpleasantry and discomfort; he could only compare it to the times when he was a child. It wasn't clear how long he's been in this state, but it's been long enough where he can barely distinguish the difference between present and dream. Where was Kurama? Why couldn't he hear his annoying voice telling him to fight? Where was Mama to comfort him and Squirt to protect him? When was the last time he was so alone like this?

The loneliness had him trembling, flaring the agitated nerves and muscles of his body. He almost groaned when the pain of his fingers flickered into a sharp throb. He could feel each finger pulsating, demanding to be healed, but nothing could be done. There was no choice but to ride it out, the whole experience. However, when he heard a loud rattling, a sliver of fear told him that perhaps he was more afraid than he realized. The rattling was from the heavy door across from him opening and closing. With his own eyes covered by a blindfold, he could not tell if someone were standing before him. It felt like there was, but he wasn't sure and the mere thought of being watched freaked him out. He wanted to rattle his own confines, to shrink away until he was curled in the dark corner of wherever he was. If his throat weren't such a dry mess, he'd be demanding to know who the hell was watching him, but no sound could be formed. He waited. The silence was long enough to finally make him believe that he was safe until he felt a cold tip pressed against his abdomen. He could only make a little gasping noise.

"Finally awake, eh? You passed out too early last time," said a deep voice. The tone was sarcastic and sadistic, much to his displeasure. He hated this person.

"F….ck….u," he choked out. His throat flared with its own pain in warning, begging for Tetsu to stop talking.

He could practically hear the bastard smirking. "You're always so feisty. Tell me, Tetsu-san, doesn't that get tiring after a while? Isn't it easier to just tell me what I'd like to know?"

This had to be a joke! Did this idiot seriously think this reverse psychology was working on him? Maybe he wasn't in the best positions right now but in any other circumstance, this bastard wouldn't speaking so mightily. When Tetsu didn't answer, the unknown person took quiet steps forward until his hand was hovering over his stomach. Even if only by a little, Tetsu could feel an immense amount of heat coming from that hand; either he was colder than he thought or the mystery person was much too warm. The hand moved slightly upwards where Tetsu knew there was an opened wound. His skin pulsated as if enamored by the heat of that hand and left him quietly groaning in pain. When the hand stopped moving all together, Tetsu wanted to collect his thoughts and spit out a vicious insult, but the hand suddenly moved again and cupped the wound completely, pressing down with as much pressure as he could conjure.

"Gah!" Tetsu gasped. He squirmed in hopes to relieve his pain, but the man kept his hand still, pressing down even harder and then loosening his strength as if to toy with Tetsu. "You…b'stard!"

"It could all be over if you just cooperate. I promise."

Tetsu had some choice words to say, but the threats all died on his tongue when the pressure on his wound kept increasing. He really wished he could see the bastard and tell him off even if it were the last thing he could pull off before dying, but his thoughts felt jumbled. He couldn't think. He could only hear himself gasp. The man mumbled some more crap about cooperation and truth-telling, but Tetsu paid no mind to it; all he wanted to do at this point was sleep. Maybe if he just fell asleep, he wouldn't be in pain anymore…Maybe if he closed his eyes, he'd actually wake up and find himself in a much better place than here. Just maybe…

Tetsu blacked out before any retort could be made.

~*SUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSU*~

**2 Weeks Earlier**

A powerful headache was forming at the base of her skull, she could feel it slowly rising to take over the whole thing. So many voices were prattling off, shouting about this, about that; rights and wrongs; justices and injustices; politics and war! It was absolutely ridiculous! Every time she even opened her mouth a fraction, another set of voices overpowered her and argued about something else. And people wondered why she was so short-tempered? Why she was so violent?!

"ENOUGH!" She finally screamed, breaking her desk in the process. Shizune could be heard groaning when everything on and in the desk shattered all over the floor. (Tsunade was going to be extra cranky when she learned that she just broke all of her alcoholic bottles that were hidden in the desk).

The room silenced immediately. All standing in the small office was Team Raven starring Sasuke (now out of his ANBU uniform—as so ordered), Sai, Lee, and Orochimaru; Team Brunette: Neji, Chouji, Shikamaru, and Kiba; and Team Unnatural Color (because seriously…): Kakashi and Jiraiya. Shizune was standing next to her—now broken—desk while Team Old Farts: the Third, Danzo and the Council, were seated on the couch by the far wall. Finally, her two advisors, Shikaku and Inoichi were standing opposite of Shizune, at the other side of her desk.

"Uh, Tsunade-honey, you didn't need to break the desk…"

"Shut up! You've all been arguing since the moment you've come back and I'm tired of it!"

"Tsuande, temper," the Third warned. It made Tsunade grind her teeth in pure irritation.

"It's my office so I do what I want!" Tsunade snapped. "Now, I don't know about the rest of you but this amount of screaming is going nowhere when we have a situation on our hands."

"The situation is simple, Tsunade-sama," said one of the council members. The elderly woman, Utatane Koharu, appeared as if she hadn't spoken, but her superior demeanor told otherwise. Her chin was held high, her posture so erect that Tsunade wondered if her spine was just paralyzed that way, and her face frozen stoically. "Konoha now has its jinchūriki back where it belongs. It appears your intuition was right for once."

That last comment elicited a nasty glare from Tsunade; she was _never_ fond of this woman. Hated her more than anything. "Are you to ignore everything else that occurred before the jinchūriki's capture? We still don't know who kidnapped him and for what purpose. We are also troubled with how to proceed since the _boy_ was charged for several crimes before and after learning if his jinchūriki status."

"The crimes can be overlooked for now," said Mitokado Homura, the other council member. Whenever Koharu spoke, it was guaranteed that he would follow with his own opinion. "Our main concern is learning where it has been hiding for all of these years."

" _HE,_ " Inoichi hissed angrily. His face was contorted into some grimace that wasn't too common, especially for those that knew him well.

"Excuse me?" Homura asked, offended by the fact that he was spoken to by someone other than Tsunade or others who were of high position.

"He is not an 'it'; he is a fellow Konohanian."

"Feh, whatever pronoun you want to give him, he is still a murdering, out of control demon. What's worse is that he was raised under the name of God," replied Danzo. He had a smug look to him that didn't sit well with too many people in the room.

"We don't know that to be true and even if it were, that still doesn't justify that he wasn't raised by our hands, by his homeland."

" _Nothing_ would have changed the fact that he is a demon. No matter where he was raised. Even here, in the great land of Konoha, he would have been an outcast based off of history alone. Or did you forget what that red monster did to this very village 20 years ago?"

Inoichi was ready to fire back with ire burning behind every word, but Tsunade raised a hand to stop him. "Hold off, Inoichi. Don't waste your breath. It seems to me that we need to narrow down the opinions here, so first and foremost, Shizune, I need you to send my seal of approval to the financial office and tell them to make sure all shinobi who were involved with the jinchūriki's capture is paid a handsome bonus. You were all brave handled the situation well. I thank you all." Many of them smiled or smirked while Kiba and Lee high-fived each other. At least the mood in the room lightened a little bit. Shizune then lead the large group (Sasuke, Kakashi, Neji, Lee, Shikamaru, Chouji, Sai, and Kiba) out of the office, leaving Jiraiya, Orochimaru, the Third, the Council, Danzo, Shikaku, and Inoichi. "Now, as much as I hate to admit it, I agree with Homura in that for now, we should bypass the crimes that the boy was originally charged with and focus on where he was hidden all of 20 years."

"That may prove to be a problem," said a soft-spoken voice. Orochimaru had finally spoken.

"What do you mean?" the Third asked him.

"He woke up as soon as we arrived back to the village and his cooperation was nonexistent. He refuses to eat or even speak when spoken to and now he just screams all day until he wears himself out."

"Are you surprised? He's upset to be defeated and dragged back to the place he tried desperately to escape from," Tsunade voiced.

"Which further emphasizes that he won't ever trust us no matter what pace we use with him. He will not answer any questions unless we take a different approach. A drastic approach."

"What do you suggest, Orochimaru?" the Third intervened again. He seemed intrigued by Orochimaru's perspective, everyone was.

"That we treat him like we would any other S-class criminal and _force_ the information out of him…"

Tsunade and Inoichi's eyes widened. "Have you lost your mind?! You want us to torture him?!" She screamed.

"Yes," Orochimaru answered bluntly. "Just for—"

"Aside from being a jinchūriki, have you forgotten that that is Minato and Kushina's son?" Tsunade was red in the face, seething with unimaginable anger.

"That is exactly why this plan would be more effective. He already hates us so it wouldn't make too much of a difference if we were nice or cruel to him. But if we were to act drastically, act with ignorance, and say, a benevolent leader approaches him with promise of information and freedom, wouldn't that prove to weaken his stubbornness, even by a little?"

She could understand what he was saying and it sounded like somewhat of a good plan, but it didn't sit well with her. The idea of torture wasn't the most appealing of images; she could just envision the blood on his skin and the thoughts almost made her gag. The sight of blood disgusted her, made her nauseous. "Y-You want me to lie to him?" She asked quietly.

Orochimaru shook his head. "No, this isn't a lie, just a mere speed up for his cooperation. His resolve will weaken and you will help him by gaining his trust."

"Are you…volunteering?"

Koharu cleared her throat, gaining everyone's eyes on her. "I think it best to send in an expert. Orochimaru-san is a shinobi and has no business in interrogation."

Orochimaru chuckled, glancing at Koharu with narrowed eyes. "I can make anyone talk." Koharu frowned, disapproving of Orochimaru's smugness.

"Hokage-sama, if I may," Inoichi objected. "Torture will just put more distance between Tetsu and us. Perhaps I could look into his mind and collect the necessary memories that could answer all of our current questions."

"And then what?" Danzo scoffed. "Your method is just another way of cheating. When this 'Tetsu' finds out that you looked into his memories, without his permission, he'll put even more distance between us. And who knows, he might even snap and kill us all!"

"How does your torture plan prevent the chances of that happening even less than my plan?! You're just manipulating him!"

"That is how interrogation works, _boy_. Really Tsunade, you'd ought to get new advisors because your current ones seem to lack common sense. And if I didn't know any better, I'd bet that this one has an odd attachment to the jinchūriki."

"Keep your mouth shut, Danzo and I won't tell you again, it's Tsunade-sama when you address me."

Shikaku, who was a tad upset at being insulted, heaved a heavy sigh. "As much as I find your earlier comment rude," he began, looking at Danzo. "I'm inclined to agree with this crazy plan."

"Shikaku!" Inoichi shouted, truly upset at his friend's words.

"What I mean is, if we play this right, we could save ourselves time and resources instead of butting heads with him. It's not just that he's stubborn, but he's smart so he won't fall for any of this if we treat him like an invalid. From what I know so far, I don't think he'll break if we keep it at a mild level and remain reactive."

"I see. Then who do you recommend for this task?" Tsuande asked.

"I'd recommend Uchiha Sasuke."

"Nonsense," Homura opposed. "Ibiki has more skill and strategy than Mr. Uchiha."

"I disagree," said the Third. "Sasuke has a form of finesse when it comes to interrogation…and I think Sasuke is more beneficial."

Everyone stared at him, hoping that he would elaborate. When he didn't, Tsuande pushed. "Meaning?"

"Tetsu—at least from when I met him—seemed to…enjoy the male company. I'm merely pointing out that…Sasuke isn't…bad looking…" He seemed too uncomfortable with where the direction of conversation was going.

If the situation weren't serious, Tsunade would have had a good mind to crack up at the blush adorning the old man's face. Surely if Sasuke had been a woman, he'd have no problem complimenting her beauty. "We're not trying to make this kid develop Stockholm syndrome."

"Then Ibiki it is," Homura said with a nod, as if the decision was final.

"Actually Hokage-sama, perhaps we should go with both Ibiki-san and Sasuke-san," Shikaku negotiated.

"Well now you're just being greedy," Danzo spat. "You can't just decide every idea will stick."

"I don't mean _together_. If what Saidaime says is true, then Tetsu-san will most likely not take his predicament seriously and if we only leave it up to Ibiki then although he'll be tortured, he won't come to the understanding that Hokage-sama is 'saving' him because he doesn't know her. He doesn't _trust_ her. But if we alternate between the two, Tetsu-san will lean more towards Sasuke-san, who in turn will use his charm and put in a good word for Hokage-sama."

"Yes, that idea seems more ideal," Tsunade agreed. "So it's settled then. I'll inform Sasuke and Ibiki of their assignments. We'll meet up again once there is sign of either progress or stagnation." However, Tsunade then remembered that Shizune was not in the room to pass on her message.

Seeing her predicament, Jiraiya stepped in, speaking for the first time since Tsunade's outburst. "I can hand them the message, if you want."

Tsunade looked at him, noting the exhausted look in his face and the dishevelment of his appearance. Despite that, he was smiling at her, smiling like he usually would when he wanted to comfort her. It was exactly what she needed, a perfect boost of energy to smile right back and nod. "I would like that."

With some parting words shared amongst the group, everyone exited one by one, each contemplating about what would happen next. They could only wait.

~*SUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSU*~

Shikaku and Inoich followed behind the rest of the group out of Tsunade's office when it was barely a minute later until Inoichi grabbed Shikaku by the shoulder and spun him around. He was very angry at his friend, but more than anything, he just wanted to know the reason behind his choices.

"I know you don't always agree with me but you usually tell me why. What was that in there?"

"I honestly think it'd be wiser to go in this route than you entering his mind. Now knowing that he is a jinchūriki, we cannot risk your life by looking into his memories."

"But torture, Shikaku? _That's_ a better idea than anything else?"

"You should know that the psychology of torture can benefit us in this case. We are not simply hurting Tetsu-san because we can, but because we need a certain reaction from him. It'll be rough from the start but it'll pay off in the end."

Inoichi knew his friend was right but he still really disliked this outcome. "I guess…"

"May I ask? What's your connection to this boy?"

The question had Inoichi pausing. Danzo had hinted earlier that he was getting attached but he assumed the old man had just been saying that to piss him off. Now though, he wasn't sure, since Shikaku is saying the same thing. However, a part of him knew why he was so inclined towards the young adult. "I—I don't want to use my ninjutsu as an excuse and I may sound biased, but when I looked into his mind—well, the mind of his clone—I saw…something akin to innocence. He's…not perfect, I know that, but he's a good kid. I saw that."

Shikaku nodded; being longtime friends with Inoichi made him capable of understanding him better than most, so he knew that whatever he was referring to, it was coming from a real place. "I understand. Then we'll work hard to prove so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to original story: http(colon)(double slash)bit . ly(slash) 1LJyqNY  
> or  
> http(colon)(double slash)w .tt(slash) 1cj6Qul


	23. Replevin of Good Looks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!  
> Here we are again! We finally get some dialogue between our destined characters—I think it went pretty well…considering O_o. Anyway, I’ve read some of your comments last time; I’m glad some of you still enjoy the story, but I am sorry some of you didn’t. As I’ve said before, I am learning so clearly pacing is an area I need to work on. I do apologize for those who thought along the same lines, so I will promise to work on that and start picking it up. Thank you all for the reviews and critiques—it does mean a lot! Please enjoy this chapter and have a great 4th of July!!! x]   
> Furthermore, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!  
> Eggs and Bacon,  
> CrimsonNi

_“I understand. Then we’ll work hard to prove so.”_

 

 

          “Pardon?”

          “What, ya need me to say it louder? I SAID—“

          “I heard you, I was just trying to understand if I heard you correctly.”

          “Ya heard me fine, kid. Like I said, your mission is to schmooze the kid over with your charm and trick him into giving us what we want.”

          “And why must I _charm_ him?”

          “Well ya know the kid’s a ‘sword-swallower,’ right? Now don’t take offense, but ya are prettier than some natural girls out there.”

          Except Sasuke was offended. Thankfully, he could hold a poker face but he had to fight hard against his blood’s natural tendency to make him flush with embarrassment. “Then already I can see this plan failing; since he’s a _sword-swallower_ , I’d doubt he’d care if I were _prettier_ than any girl.”

          “Ya know what I mean! I mean, even I can admit I’d take a run at ya…if a dress were in—“

          “I am done with this discussion,” Sasuke growled and raised himself from his seat to leave.

          Jiraiya squawked, upset that Sasuke was just going to up and leave. “Kid! Ya don’t have a choice! My old lady gave the orders, I’m just relaying them. Ibiki is going to trade days with ya, starting tomorrow—he’s going to be the bad interrogator and you be the good one. Like I said, _charm_ the kid and get what we want.”

          “And how do you suppose I do _that_? I was never trained in the Seduction field and I have even less knowledge of how to do that with the same _sex_!”

          “You’re an Uchiha so you’ll figure it out. If ya want, I could lend you one of my Icha-Icha copies to give ya some pointers.”

          “No, thank you. I’ll be going, Jiraiya-sama.”

          Sasuke did not wait for a response; he collected his belongings and headed straight home. He had the idea of clearing his head, but he needed some advice and there was only one person who could give him the right advice. Although, he already had an idea of Itachi was going to say. Upon arriving at his home, he immediately recognized the smell of chicken, even seeping through the front door. His stomach growled; he hadn’t noticed that he missed lunch but that was no fault of his. Jiraiya just had to grab him for a ‘casual talk’ and walk with him outside to some bench, telling him of his latest assignment. The joy of working with ANBU. Sasuke walked into the living room, but still did not spot Itachi. He then walked into the kitchen where he saw his older brother eloquently eating away at a steaming bowl of what appeared to be chicken soup.

          “Smells good.”

          Itachi gave him a smile. “It is, want some? I made too much, I’m afraid.”

          “ _You_ did?”

          Warily, Itachi looked at his younger brother, hoping that that little slip wouldn’t start another war between them. “Yes, I made some soup. I…hope you won’t tease me too much. I am a bit rusty.”

          Itachi wasn’t too far off from his assumptions; he noticed Sasuke’s eyebrows twitch—which they only did when he was annoyed or upset—and his eyes narrow, but Sasuke simply exhaled roughly through his nose and sat across from him at the kitchen table. “I’m sure it’s tolerable. You’re good at everything.”

          “Nonsense,” Itachi replied softly. He was too emotionally caught up at his brother finally relenting.

          “If…you don’t mind me asking, how did you pull it off? I can’t seem…,” he trailed off.

          “Yes, it was very difficult. But I made sure I collected all the items I needed and then climbed on the counter tops. The rest handled itself.”

          Sasuke stared at his brother, getting a better look at his condition. He noted that Itachi’s clothes were a little disheveled (probably from climbing and moving around), his hands were covered in bandages, a slight sheen of sweat from exertion…and yet he looked like the happiest person Sasuke had ever seen. There was an unmistakable smile trying to break through and a peek of red tinting his infamous pale cheeks—Itachi enjoyed himself. There was nothing more to be said. Sasuke grabbed a bowl from one of the cabinets and poured the soup greedily, reseating himself across from Itachi. A few soft blows from his lips to cool the heated broth, and Sasuke gulped a big spoonful. Itachi waited patiently, wanting to gauge for Sasuke’s reaction, which was a smirk and a nod.

          “Not bad, Brother. I can barely tell you’ve rusted.”

          “I still need more practice. Soup is the easiest thing to get away with.”

          “If you’re going to venture into more complicated meals, then promise me you’ll start off easy and seek help from your nurses. I can help you too.”

          “Of course, I promise. But I can’t help but wonder why you are being so lenient all of a sudden.”

          “What, I can’t support my own brother in his accomplishments?”

          “Yes, you could, but to do so suddenly is what worries me. Is something on your mind?”

          The words were dancing in his head, almost as if trying to find the path to his mouth so he could speak them, but he for some reason, he felt shy. The whole situation was stupid and something an Uchiha was not known to deal with, let alone talk about. Itachi looked at him, waiting, expecting, but Sasuke could only look back at him. Silence reigned between them, the soup already forgotten. Finally, Sasuke inhaled a long and sharp breath, exhaling until there were numerous ripples in the soup below him.

          “I’ve received a new assignment and am unsure how to go about it.”

          “Is this assignment perhaps in relation to your last mission?” When Sasuke quirked an eyebrow at him, Itachi shrugged as if it were the most logical thing. “You have been acting quite strange since returning home from that mission, so I can only assume.”

          That made sense. The horror of fighting that… _thing_ …had thrown Sasuke off and kept him distracted. He could still see those eyes, those icy blue eyes that screamed of blood lust. He’s met many crazies, but never like that. That was something else entirely. When he first returned home from the mission, he hadn’t even looked at Itachi; he grunted his presence, fled upstairs to his bedroom, and slept until his body ached to move again. He considered talking about it with Itachi, but he needed some time to himself, time to deal with the matter himself. Now—although it isn’t allowed to reveal missions or secrets to anyone outside of those involved and the Hokage—Sasuke could talk to Itachi. He had to. Their relationship wasn’t like other brotherly relationships; these conversations were pivotal.

          “A while back, there was a civil arrest on a man accused of prostitution and eliciting sex with a minor. It appeared we underestimated him and the man escaped from our hold when we were about to interrogate him. He had made an accusation that needed some looking into. I was sent out with a team to go and recapture him.”

          “A lot of soldiers just for one man. A prostitute no less.”

          “He’s either a liar or a new breed of prostitutes. No prostitute I’ve ever heard of can do what this man was capable of. It’s no wonder either. Tsunade-sama had suspected this man was our missing jinchūriki.”

          Itachi’s eyes widened in shock, which was a rare thing to do to Itachi. “And was it?” His voice was quiet, as if any bugs against the walls could understand and hear.

          “It was…There was chakra everywhere. He was powerful and lacked mercy when thrown against a wall. I was actually frightened of him…of it.”

          “Don’t be ashamed of that.”

          “I’m not, I don’t think.  I understand why I was afraid.”

          “So what is your concern now?”

          “You’re probably going to find this amusing, but Tsunade-sama has the man captured at our most secured cells with chakra-draining cuffs. She wants information but he’s too stubborn to cooperate. Instead, the plan devised was to have two people conduct separate “interrogations”, one plays a friend, the other a foe.”

          “I’m sure you know how to play the foe, so you’re asking how to play the friend?”

          “I’m being asked to seduce him. It appears this man has a liking to his gender and finds me…”

          “Ah, a seduction mission. I can understand why that’d make you uncomfortable; you can’t even bed your fiancée.”

          That bit stung Sasuke. He hadn’t expected to be mocked in this fashion. “Itachi—“

          “Relax, little brother, it was a just a joke. Perhaps not a funny one. As for this assignment, I can’t really see the problem.”

          “You can’t…?” Sasuke thought he had to be joking—for a second time.

          “What I mean is, I think you’re thinking too much on the matter. You’re too focused on the actual _seduction_ part. From what I understand, you were given this assignment because of your talents in interrogation…and because you’re attractive. The work is already done for you.”

          Sasuke furrowed his brow, looking down at his cooled soup. “I don’t understand.”

          Itachi leaned closer, somehow lowering his voice even further. “Sasuke, it may sound cruel or narcissistic, but people of allure guarantee more trust than people of honor. I’m sure with just a few boring words, you’d have Sakura—or any girl for that matter—forgive you of anything, ready to wed you tomorrow. What Hokage-sama wants you to do is to simply be you, as you’ve always been, and win this man over. He’ll trust you based on looks alone. The rest has to come from whatever scheme you come up with, the actual interrogation part.”

          After he was done speaking, Itachi pulled away and resumed eating his meal, even though it probably tasted ice cold by this point. From the calm look on his face, Sasuke knew that Itachi was done talking about the matter, that whatever Sasuke was still confused about, he’d have to figure out on his own. Luckily, he wasn’t confused about the matter anymore. He was right, as always, to consult in Itachi; sometimes he forgot that even though the man was now handicapped and struggled even with the most common of things, he was still the smartest that lived. An unrivaled intelligence. Sasuke said nothing more and he too continued on with his cold soup.

**2 Weeks Later…**

          The cell smelled horrendously of defecation and metal. It was much too poignant to ever get used to. Even after two weeks, Sasuke still couldn’t find a way to tolerate the smell without gagging. If it weren’t for his mask at least helping to mask the smell, he’d have told Tsunade to shove it already. Looking around, nothing much had changed, just more blood on the ground than previous. There was also a scattering of urine, shit, and bile, all adding on to the putrid smell of the cell. The only variable that stood out and appeared more brittle every time he saw him, was the man chained to the makeshift cross that was rooted in the center of the room. Although he tried to be quiet, the large door that he opened gave away his position and the man weakly rattled the chains in acknowledgement.

          Sasuke paid close attention to the figure. He saw the loss of weight, the staining of dirt, the blood from the open wounds—they were the most disturbing part of the image. Some of them were small little stabs—slits really, nothing too bad—but the others were open ovals, deep enough to actually peer into them as if to look into his body. Then there were his hands; they were mangled pieces of flesh, torn and ripped from the nails, bent in directions that were very unnatural. The rest of him was just dirty, bruised, broken. _Ibiki is going rougher than I thought. Maybe I should talk to him._

          “W’ich…one are…you?” He asked weakly. Was this the same man that flirted with him (and others) and fought against all of them so violently?

          “This one,” Sasuke replied. It was a greeting of theirs, a simple joke perhaps that started from the first day they started this. Following Itachi’s advice, Sasuke remained sarcastic, stoic, distant, but open to some dialogue. He allowed his naturally deep voice to deepen, some light chuckles, and a casual touch on the shoulder or neck (when he wasn’t being tortured), and then Tetsu would relax. Tetsu would crack a joke, he’d complain about Ibiki, he’d flirt…the process was slow, sure, but it was working. It was just a matter of time before he’d talk.

          “I’m…dy-ing b’stard.”

          “No you’re not.”

          “I _am_.”

          “You’re not. You won’t with this gift I’ve gotten you.” Sasuke held a small yellow pill in his hand but for a moment, he forgot that Tetsu couldn’t see—he was blindfolded still. Silently, he approached Tetsu, keeping alert for any surprise attacks (one never knew with this one). The scent of sweat and blood wafted deeper into Sasuke’s already numbed nose, but he ignored it for the time being. “I’ll take this off now,” he warned. As he promised, he untied the knot of the blindfold and allowed the fabric to slip down onto the dirty ground.

          Blue eyes blinked and opened to look down at Sasuke. Unlike the rest of him, only his eyes were kept alone. Every time Sasuke unveiled them, they’d take him by surprise, startling him and flashing him back to that massive fight two weeks prior. Still, _these_ eyes were different than the cold ones he clashed with. These were mysterious, yet telling. Frightening but alluring—Sasuke had to step back; it wasn’t the time to think of such frivolous things.

          “What’s the…gift?” Tetsu whispered, trying to regain his voice.

          Holding the yellow pill higher into the air, he showcased it to Tetsu as if it were a rare artifact. “This is called Replevin. It’s a special pill to help replenish most of what you’ve lost.”

          “Doubt that. Lost…a _lot_ of…blood.”

          “I assure you, it’ll help. It can only last for four hours, but during such time, it will try to quicken your recovery process.”

          “Heh, so’nds like…another pill…I heard of. What’s…the catch?”

          Sasuke had to bite back a smile, keeping his amusement at bay. “I’m surprised you’re asking; it should be obvious by now.” When Tetsu said nothing, and just stared at him with a hateful glare, Sasuke continued with his torment. “I know it sounds cruel…unfair even, but _think_ about it. Wouldn’t it be better if it just…stopped hurting?”

          Tetsu’s body visibly shuddered. “I…wouldn’t be…hurting…if you let…me go.”

          “That’s just a ‘what-if’ scenario, Tetsu-san. The point is, you’re here now, with me, with one way out. And you _can_ get out…if you just comply. Just this pill alone can help seal these open wounds, lessen your chances of infection, and bring you back to health. Better yet, I can get a good friend of mine to come in and heal whatever the pill couldn’t.”

          “Liar.”

          “I swear to you I am not. Everything that pains you now can all go away…if you just trust me.”

          Suddenly, Tetsu violently fought against his chains with an energy Sasuke wasn’t expecting. He rattled and shook until the clanging of the chains morphed into a numbing clink. Sasuke couldn’t help but assume that he was having a seizure, some sort of an attack—maybe he should call for medical help!

          “Hey, hey, ssh, calm down! Stop, calm!”

          The voice that came up through Tetsu’s throat was a battered version of his original voice, but broken whispers appeared to no longer suit him. His eyes were now a blue fire that darkened so much that blackness almost appeared to take over. He was furious.

          “TRUST?!” He screamed. “You dare ask me for trust? I’ve been starved, stabbed, prodded, wounded, neglected, humiliated—all for time! And you _ASK_ me for trust?!” After his rant, Tetsu heaved, his chest puffing in and out of itself as if his heart were trying to phase through. His face was sickly red, he was sweating, and blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth. All of his exerted energy caused more harm than good.

          “Yes,” Sasuke replied softly. “I ask that of you, because you have a story to tell and I want to hear it. You rather die in pain than tell me?”

          “ _I’m not…st’pid_ ,” he said, his voice fainting into a scratchy and weak whisper. “ _I’m…just a d—demon…_.”

          “Maybe. I’ve only seen the bad parts of you. The murderous parts, the aggressive, violent, manipulative, cunning, villainous parts.”

          “ _You were tr’ing…to catch me; lock…me up for…false reasons. Now…I’m a we’pon_.”

          That stopped Sasuke short for a second. “Who told you that? Who said you’d be a weapon?” Tetsu held his tongue, pretending that the wall behind Sasuke was much more interesting. After two weeks of this back and forth, Sasuke knew that this meant he wasn’t budging; he slipped too much and was going to keep himself quiet until he left. However, this also meant that he was on the right track, an opportunity he didn’t want to lose. “Someone told you? When you were younger? So you’ve always known you were a demon?”

          It was miniscule, but there was a slight twitch of his eyebrows. “Someone from the church?”

          “ _You wanna know? Give me…the pill._ ”

          “And you’ll talk?”

          “ _Yes…whatever you…want to know_.”

          They stared at each other, like numerous times before, but this time, Sasuke was getting the feeling that Tetsu was scheming something. He was desperate and clearly, in much pain. There was no doubt that he was just acting as human as he could possibly be, at least without the help of his red demon. “Now you’re treating me like I’m stupid.”

          “ _Maybe you…should…just trust me_.”

          This blonde-headed asshole. Fine, games he wanted to play, games they were going to play. Sasuke displayed his most enchanting smile (or at least he hoped it was) and he could tell it was effective from how Tetsu opened his eyes in disbelief and seemed mesmerized. He then took the pill and pried it through Tetsu’s dried lips, swirling his thumb around the corners as if to tease, and then passed a sip of water from his small water bottle that he kept handy. Tetsu seemed bewildered, almost as if he couldn’t believe his plan had actually worked. Yet, he gulped down the water as if it were the very last time he’d see it.

          “ _But…why?_ ” He asked after his third gulp of water.

          Again, Sasuke smiled, barely able to contain his sadistic thoughts. “Like I said before, to end your pain. You need to heal at least for a little bit. It’s only best since it’d be unwise to let my partner continue on with a half-dead corpse.” He then walked away, paying close attention to Tetsu trying to regurgitate the pill from his system. It was a shame he wouldn’t talk today, but he saw the vulnerability, so he was close. Hopefully, Ibiki wouldn’t harm him too harshly…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to original story: http(colon)(double slash)bit . ly(slash) 1LJyqNY  
> or  
> http(colon)(double slash)w .tt(slash) 1cj6Qul


	24. A Cleansing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!  
> Guys, it’s been ridiculously long, no doubt! This time though, this isn’t due to summer school or work-related things. I’m behind on my stories because on Sunday the 23rd of August, I drove my younger sister and one of my dogs for ten and a half hours from Jersey to Michigan. I drove side-by-side with my step-dad who drove with my younger brother and our other dog. The crazy shit is that we’re nowhere near settled here; we couldn’t manage to sell our house completely so we tolerated a contingency deal. We can’t buy a house here in MI until the people that made an offer on our house sell their house first. Meanwhile, my family has been apartment/condo jumping and it’s just been stressful. My point is that I’ll still be trying to write these chapters but aside from limited time and energy, I’m sure I’ll also feel lack of desire because unlike a true professional, procrastination is my worst enemy #sadface.   
> So here it is, a new chapter. Sorry for the venting, I hope you understand.  
> Furthermore, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!  
> Eggs and Bacon,  
> CrimsonNi

_Hopefully, Ibiki wouldn’t harm him too harshly…_

 

          _It wasn’t so much that it hurt, but it mentally stung. He watched as the slash on his arm closed shut, as if he weren’t cut to begin with, but it was as if he could still feel the pain of the initial wound. When he pressed his little fingers into the freshly healed wound, he felt nothing but the coolness of his fingertips. Nothing was there to hurt anymore, but he was still hurting. Crying big globs of tears, Tetsu cradled his arm and sobbed his little heart out. It was supposed to be a good day for him, resulting in laughter and celebration! It was his birthday after all…Yet, his special day wasn’t celebrated with joy as it had been the previous years. Every year, he was treated like royalty, a king of the lands. This year however, something had clearly changed and without his understanding. The children were quite cruel to him, the workers around the church were even worse! The sisters glared at him as if he had committed a terrible crime—even Father hadn’t appeared to come and speak with him! What could he have done so wrong that it resulted with this kind of reaction? He replayed the words of his peers in his head, listened as they called him a demon, a monster._

_When they threw rocks at him earlier, he was wounded in several places where skin was visible; they shrieked in horror when they saw how ineffective their harm was. Each and every cut closed itself right up, leaving an unscarred area of skin. Although it hadn’t registered to Tetsu what any of that meant during the moment, thinking about it now, he could understand why that was odd. It wasn’t normal to heal like that…was it? Was that why everyone had been treating him as they had?_

_“’Here you are,’” a voice announced. Tetsu flinched upon hearing the familiar voice. “’It’s time to come out of hiding now.”_

_Looking up from his crouched position, Tetsu noted the different attire as opposed to the usual nun-wear. Sister was wearing a long but plain black dress only decorated with a gold-chained necklace. Sister’s face was covered by a lacey garment, attached to her small black hat. It was difficult to see her hair, but little strands of blonde poked through from the low bun she had. The only other thing Tetsu could definitely see was the piercing red coloring of Sister’s lipstick; unlike the rest of her bleak attire, that color was absolutely prominent._

_“S-Sister Mary…,” Tetsu muttered nervously. It scared him that he couldn’t see her eyes._

_“’Come now, follow me.’”_

_“Will I be punished? I—They hit me first! They threw rocks at me, they called me the devil’s son—“_

_“’We will not discuss this here, Tetsu.’”_

_Instead of grabbing him as he expected her to do, she simply walked away. He had remained where he cowered, afraid of what awaited for him at their destination, but he also knew that punishment would be much worse if he did not obey. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t disobey. He shakily got on his two feet and dragged himself to follow behind Sister Mary. He noticed that no one else was in the halls or anywhere outside of the building. The whole place was silent. That only made Tetsu sweat in fear. Although that paralyzing fear made Tetsu walk even slower, he eventually arrived to Sister’s room where she stood waiting for him. When she closed the door behind him, he clenched his fists tightly and scrunched his eyes closed; he was petrified. Sister Mary was notorious for her strict discipline and none from the church (even the other adults) ever tried to go against her, verbally or physically. But Tetsu was a spoiled child, spoiled by the only force capable of going against her…Father._

_He always saved him from her, even from the smallest of things. No matter what the situation was, he’d come in, calm her down, and then hold his hand to walk away. There was no such justice now. He couldn’t see, but he could certainly feel her circle around him, like a predator taunting its prey; a cat playing before the mouse._

_“’I warned him. I did warn him of the dangers you’d bring to this church.’”_

_“Sister, I s-swear, they started it first,” he whimpered._

_“’Fault is only a worry of a sinner and it is only fitting that you repent for what you have done.’” Now with his eyes wide open, he watched as Sister stopped moving so she could stand before him and kneel. Although he was wary of her, he hadn’t expected her glowing hand to plunge heavily into his abdomen; the breath in his lungs rushed out in a hot bundle of air, leaving him light-headed and hurt. Painful tears sprung to the corners of his eyes._

_“S-Sis…ter,” he airily whispered._

_Sister retracted her hand and watched as Tetsu keeled over to the ground in agony. His arms immediately circled around his waist as if to help ease the pain, but of course, it didn’t work. As he writhed, Sister formed quick hand seals, mumbling under her breath while doing so. Tetsu could only make out ‘boar’ and ‘rabbit’ but everything else was drowned out by his loud groaning. He tried desperately to turn over and resist, to fight back in some way or escape but Sister wasn’t naïve. She kept him still with just one hand as she used the other to finish off the seals she needed for whatever jutsu she was conjuring up. When she did finish, Tetsu felt a change in his surrounding atmosphere; he couldn’t move a muscle. He thought he could hear his bones creaking, as if a fat man were stepping on every joint. His lungs felt compressed, his eyes were drooping—just his entire body felt heavy and unusable. Was he dying?! Where was Father?!_

_“’Today you will learn. Your guardian angel will take weight of your sins and decide your fate. From then on, you will learn how to culture with your own kind.’”_

_“Faaaah—thaaa…,” he tried saying, but with the mysterious jutsu weighing him down, even his jaw felt constricted. He sounded as if he had broken it or never learned the concept of speech._

_Nevertheless, Sister seemed to know whom he was referring to. “’He has abandoned you. He has paid the price for your affection and now rests with his demons.’”_

_The cold tone spurred on more tears to slowly squeeze out from their prison and stream down the one side of Tetsu’s face as he was faced sideways. His vision was so blurred, he didn’t see Sister grab a thick piece of cloth from her pocket, nor did he notice how she was hovering over him with said cloth. He wanted to shudder away from her but could only moan out a protesting whimper. Sister slipped the cloth over his eyes and tied the two ends at the back of his head as tightly as she could. Now, he could see nothing, barely hear anything outside of his close proximity, and only feel the nasty warmth radiating off of Sister._

_“’Before you are to be freed, you must first be cleansed.’”_

_Tetsu felt Sister’s cold hands shuffle off his clothing, placing a large stone of dread in the pit of his stomach. He tried his best to squirm but only seemed to hurt more of his insides than move his outsides. The cold air of the room touched every inch of his revealing skin, biting him as if he were laying in a field of snow. Sister’s hands didn’t help in matters and only seemed to spread that cold feeling all throughout his body. What he hadn’t realized was that she had soaked her hands in ‘Holy’ water and wanted to saturate Tetsu in it. No place was off-limits—she poured it everywhere. And as he shivered in combination of fear and cold, Sister reached into her pockets again and pulled out another piece of cloth, thinner than the first piece. She roughly tied a knot at the base of Tetsu’s small cock, forcing a broken gasp to escape him. At this, he tried to incoherently scream for help but Sister powerfully squeezed his boyhood, shutting him up instantly._

_Suddenly, a knock on the door sounded. A surge of hope pulsed through Tetsu’s mind with thoughts of Father coming to his rescue! It was a rough rap of four; Tetsu felt Sister slowly distance herself from him and he relaxed as he awaited to hear Father’s voice. But luck wasn't on his side, it seemed. Instead, he heard the door open and then a familiar yet unfamiliar voice speak. Not only was it NOT Father but the voice didn’t even sound alarmed or angered._

_“’It’s about time you’ve arrived. He’s all ready for his “cleansing.”’”_

_“’Sorry, the weather was fiercer than I thought.’” There was a pause in speech. Tetsu couldn’t tell what was happening in that silence, but he felt his skin prick in warning, as if the unknown man was staring holes into his skin. “’And he isn’t harmed?’”_

_“’Of course not, do not take me for a fool. He’s yours now to suffer,’” Sister spat bitterly._

_“I heard of what happened. I am deeply sorry—I did not think anything like this would ever occur.”_

_“You did not assume a monster would eventually come to its senses? Its very nature?’”_

_“’I assumed it was a contained monster.’”_

_“’Then I’d like to inform you that the lid is broken.’”_

_“I will work on that with him. In the meantime, know that he will be returned in a month’s time, perhaps longer.’”_

_“’Very well. Just don’t kill him…at least not yet.’”_

 

**In present time:**

          He jolted himself awake from the flood of memories. He had no recollection of when he had fallen asleep in the first place, but he was glad regardless that his mind was aware enough not to delve deeper into those unwanted memories. He hadn’t been revisited by those nightmares in a long while—since Kurama was responsible for keeping them at bay—but he’d forgotten how much suffering he endured in that short period of youth. He’d forgotten how there was a time when he experienced something similar to what he was experiencing now; vulnerability, isolation, torture…

          It brought about a wave of pain and nausea, triggered by that past trauma. The pain pulsated, travelling all throughout his body, burning through his veins like some kind of acidic poison. He was scared, he realized that. The physical pain, sure, he could handle, but that was only because he learned how cooperate with Kurama, who would later on heal him quickly enough. But now, now he was alone, completely alone, and that scared him immensely. He might be able to endure the torture for so long before the loneliness would creep up behind him and remind him of his past. The past with no present Kurama, no Mama, no Squirt, no one.

          That realization had him screaming. It didn’t matter that his voice was still hoarse and broken, he screamed and screamed. He didn’t care that his body was shredded and hung nearly lifeless on the chains; he rattled violently against them with so much will that he was sure the dead could hear it. His head was buzzing so loud that he couldn’t hear much except for his animalistic wails. _Kurama! Mama! Squirt!_ He kept repeating like a mantra. Where were they, he wondered.

          His screaming must have been much louder and longer than he anticipated since the thick exit was swung open to allow a small group of three to come running in. Tsunade and Shizune watched in horror as a bloody, rotting body writhed in agony. She had no idea that Sasuke and Ibiki were inflicting this much damage; the reports were heavily sugarcoated. If it wasn’t due to professionalism, she might have thrown up on the spot based off of the scent alone.

          “Sa-Lynx! What is the meaning of this?!”

          Sasuke could hear the trembling in Tsunade’s voice but he wasn’t sure if it was in horror or in disgust. Not that he could blame her. From the last time he saw Tetsu, he was in even worse condition than before and now evidence of that was clear with what he was apparently witnessing, a seizure of sorts. “Hokage-sama, I’m not sure. When I walked in here, he was mumbling to himself and then started screaming but I haven’t been able to calm him down since. That is why I came for you as an emergency.”

          “Not that, I meant _this_! This is not what you were assigned to do!” She screamed. Her face was red, her eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets with ire that had even Shizune trembling. 

          “This isn’t my work,” Sasuke replied coolly, gesturing at the grotesque scene before them. “Both Ibiki-san and I performed as asked for this assignment but I had no hand in his assigned torture.”

          Tsunade was two seconds away from throwing a violent punch into Sasuke’s face but Shizune snapped them both out of their argument to the present matter at hand. “Tsunade-sama, now isn’t the time. The boy may be dying…”

          “Fine,” Tsuande growled. “But a _major_ discussion will be held afterwards.”

          He agreed because he’d be damned if he was going to let his name be tarnished. He had done nothing wrong but exactly as he was told. To play the handsome good guy while Ibiki played the ugly bad one. Aside from seduction, all Sasuke had to do was make sure there were no lethal wounds, to heal him with the pills, and play his part. Granted, Ibiki might have taken it too far with the torture, but that was still no fault of Sasuke’s; actually, had this not happened, Sasuke was going to ask Tsunade to temper Ibiki down. It just so happened that time or luck wasn’t on his side.

          Both Tsunade and Shizune approached Tetsu with Shizune delicately lowering Tetsu to the floors and Tsunade immediately working on his open wounds. Tetsu was still screaming, but for a few moments, he lowered the volume into a more stringent type of moan. The two women swayed their glowing green hands everywhere they could touch and see, finally getting Tetsu to quiet down. However, Tsunade still had a deep frown on her face that Shizune was close to mimicking.

          “It’s good that most of them closed but others are severely infected. I can even see some of his bones,” Sasuke heard Shizune mutter.

          “No physical instrument caused these. _What_ the hell did Ibiki do?” Tsunade replied. As they continued to talk amongst themselves and heal Tetsu, he eventually came to open his eyes. Even Sasuke could see a peek of blue from where he stood. “Hey kid, hang in there. We’re treating all of your wounds now.”

          The two half-opened orbs shifted towards the source of noise only to widen several seconds later. Tetsu looked petrified once he got a good look of Tsunade, similar to when he was captured at Shikashima. He opened his mouth as if he were about to ramble off a number a questions or even insults, but instead, Shizune and Tsunade got an earful of louder screaming. This time, the screaming sounded painful, as if Tetsu were being subjected to sit in a vat of acid. Tetsu thrashed against their hands, reopening some wounds in the process.

          “Hey, hey, calm down! You’re fine, you’re safe now!” Shizune tried but the screaming remained piercing.

          Whenever Tsuande made an attempt to pin him down or touch him, Tetsu would cling onto Shizune and howl in a desperate effort to get away. “What’s wrong with him?!” Tsunade shouted over his yelling.

          Sasuke, who could no longer stomach their struggling, mentally slapped himself in shame when he came up with an idea he normally hesitated in trying. It wasn’t his preferable techniques and Itachi would warn him to use it sparingly but he felt as if he had no option now. He gently brushed Shizune aside to gain closer access to Tetsu’s body, roughly grabbing his chin the process. He quickly tossed his mask aside and forced Tetsu to turn his head and look at him directly in the two blaring red orbs with the three ellipses spinning wildly. For Tetsu, nothing else existed outside of the most beautiful face he had ever seen. It wasn’t sickly pale as he had first assumed, but more like a milky-white complexion that would meld well with moonlit lighting. His hair was more of a raven black but there were sneaky hints of blue hidden in his tresses that really made his big eyes pop out. He hadn’t expected to see red eyes, but even they were a perfect fit for the angular face he was looking at right now. By God, what he wouldn’t give to gain this man’s affections. Those eyes alone made all of his previous nasty thoughts disappear and only had him focus on the eternal spinning.

          Tetsu felt light, like he was being lifted away to another realm where nothing bad ever existed. He liked it. It was then he suddenly realized that in fact…he _was_ being lifted elsewhere. He was no longer in a dank, putrid-smelling cell with his blood painting the walls. Instead, he was standing in the middle of an endless red room that was eerily quiet, shadowed by non-existent objects all around him.

          “Where am I?” Tetsu asked quietly, more to himself.

          “You’re in Tsukuyomi.”

          Tetsu quickly turned, hearing the voice was behind him. He saw that it was the beautiful guy with the red eyes. “A-And what’s that?”

          “It’s a genjutsu that can alter your sense of time. I control everything here. I can make it where one minute in the real world can equate to one year in here.”

          That had Tetsu taking a couple steps back in shock. Was there really such a powerful technique that existed like that? He never heard of such an impossibility! Yet, he couldn’t argue against it. Here he was standing in foreign terrain with just the beautiful guy as his companion. His wounds from their ‘reality’ were all gone and the two women that were hovering over him a couple seconds ago were nowhere to be found now. Somehow, Tetsu got the feeling that the guy was telling the truth.

          “Well, then thanks for saving me. Even if I am an enemy of yours. But I’d like to get out a leave now.”

          However, Sasuke shook his head, making Tetsu frown in disappointment. “We’re no longer wasting time and playing games. I’m only giving you one of two options; either I release this genjutsu after you agree to _talk_ , or we remain here and I torture you here for one year before handing you over to the Hokage who will ensure that your torture continues.”

          “What?” Tetsu asked, appalled. “And what makes you think I won’t just break out of this shit myself and break free?!”

          “That’d be impossible since only a Sharigan user who shares the same blood as I can break this genjutsu. Even so, if I were to listen to your demands right now, the Hokage and her assistant would still be waiting for us and recapture you with the intentions of upping you punishment. If you think you’ve suffered so far, you have no idea what would happen once she gives the go ahead of prolonging your torture.”

          “Is that all you Leaf ninja know how to do? Torture?!” Tetsu snarled.

          “I’d be inclined to answer you differently but I don’t want to give you that hope. Not after witnessing you murder an innocent baby.”

          Tetsu looked confused for several seconds, almost as if he had no idea what Sasuke was referring to, but then his features softened, the memories all clicking for him. Yet as quickly as his expression softened, it hardened seconds later with pure fury. “Fuck you. I don’t need to explain _anything_ to you! Get me out of here or I’ll rip you to shreds like I did that kid.”

          Sasuke took the threat to heart and closed in on his opponent, curling his lips in disgust. “You won’t be laying so much as a fingernail on me. The moment you do, your worst nightmares will come to life.”

          Despite the seriousness in Sasuke’s tone, Tetsu brushed aside his threat and lunged forwards anyway. Perhaps it was due to fatigue or the fact that this genjutsu world functioned on a different system than the real one, but Tetsu felt slower and much weaker. Sasuke easily dodged every swipe at him, all except one. Tetsu managed a small nick on his left cheek but it wasn’t even bleeding, hence lacking any effect.

          “Dammit!” Tetsu roared in frustration.

          “I told you; you touch me and you’re nightmares will come to life.” The moment Sasuke repeated his words, Tetsu watched as his body image blurred into a black, cloaked figure. At first, he couldn’t tell what it was that he was witnessing, but when the figure configured itself into a woman wearing an all-black attire, covering her face with a lacey black veil draped from her hat, and some eye-catching red lipstick, he realized the severity of Sasuke’s words. His words were very true.

          _“’You are in need of a cleansing, **TETSU**!’”_ The figure screamed.

          “OKAY, OKAY! ALRIGHT, I’LL TELL YOU! I touched the kid, alright?!” Tetsu screeched at the top of his lungs. His heart was beating rapidly and just hearing that voice again had his head aching. The fear and pain from before was back, but this time, it felt tenfold. Her voice was ringing all around his head, banging against his skull like a hammer. “I’ll tell you, just…stop with that _voice_.”

          Sasuke sighed heavily, already wishing for the genjutsu to end; it was taking up a huge reserve of his chakra. He watched as Tetsu clutched his head as if it were split wide open. He had no control for what the ‘victim’ would see, but he wondered who that woman was and why she was considered his worst nightmare. Those questions, however, were to be answered another time, when curiosity best fit. For now, he had Tetsu right where he wanted him.

          “Good. Now close your eyes. The next time you open them, it’ll be all over. We’ll talk further then.”

          “Just shut the fuck up,” Tetsu whispered under his breath mournfully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to original story: http(colon)(double slash)bit . ly(slash) 1LJyqNY  
> or  
> http(colon)(double slash)w .tt(slash) 1cj6Qul


	25. All to Blame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!  
> Here’s a quickie for you guys! Gotta admit, it’s not my best (and personally, I’m not too fond of this chap) but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t really change the feng shui so this’ll have to do. Consider it a filler since next chap will clearly have some ‘meat’ to chew on. Also this chap is super wordy so I apologize if that seems a little boring for you folks. Hope you enjoy and don’t forget to follow and review!  
> Furthermore, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!  
> Eggs and Bacon,  
> CrimsonNi

“ _Just shut the fuck up,” Tetsu whispered under his breath mournfully._

 

          When Sakura walked into Tsunade’s office, she was not expecting to see (or feel) pure dread. Tsunade looked _upset_ , and not upset like Shizune hiding her sake bottles, but upset like a world war were about to start. Her desk was smashed into pieces, papers scattered everywhere, the windows were busted, the walls had huge holes in them, and even the floor looked like it received some wrath. The even scarier part was that there were several shinobi in the room, one she definitely knew was Sasuke. By his side was Kakashi, Jiraiya-sama, Shizune, Shikaku-san, and Inoichi-san.

          “My…Lady,” she said, though not as strong as she would have liked. She was nervous, who could blame her.

          “Sakura, thank you for coming quickly. I have an emergency mission for you and Shizune.”

          “Of course, My Lady.”

          Tsunade passed on a piece of paper to Shizune, proceeding as if she hadn’t just have to walk over the mess in her office to do so. “There is a classified patient in the location written on that sheet. That patient is exclusive except to the three of us, for the time being. I want round the clock reports of his condition and to be immediately alerted when he awakens.       Shizune will clue you in on anything else you might have a question on. As of now, I wish for you to meet with him as soon as possible.”

            “Yes, My Lady, of course.”

            Sakura nervously looked around the office hoping to get some kind read on Sasuke, but Shizune reached her side and the two left before she could. Tsunade waited, wanting the silence to work as a reminder to the current shinobi of the situation. Granted, they already had an idea as they watched her lose her shit on her office furniture. Still, that destruction, although pretty alieving, didn’t completely mollify her rage simmering under her skin. She wasn’t only angry as the Hokage who felt her directions were ignored, but as a doctor who hated seeing the human body being treated like anything but, as a hemophobic individual who hated the sight of blood, as a friend of Kushina who’d never, _never_ be able to stomach such a sight. That was disgusting, disturbing.

            “Where is Ibiki?” She was met with silence. “Let me remind all of you that even if it results in my immediate removal from this seat, I will find it within myself to inflict the most painful form of torment you’d ever feel, even as elite shinobi. Try me.”

            “Alright, it’s my fault!” Jiraiya shouted.

            “What the hell are you talking about?”

            “I’m the one that went to Ibiki and I told him to switch between levels 8 and 9 of torture. I botched the whole thing up!”

            “What the fuck possessed you to think that was a good idea?! Worst of all, that wasn’t part of the plan!” Tsunade was livid.

            “Maybe not, but time was of the essence here. Minimal progression was being made and our assumptions in his trust of Sasuke was clearly overestimated. Something had to be done to speed up the process.”

            “But that’s not your decision to make!! I would have thought of something—we would have thought of something if the original plan was shown not to be working. You’ve jeopardized everything with what you have done! Now, that child will have every right to resist in trusting anyone.”

            “Not everything is lost, Hime,” Jiraiya said, trying to calm his raging wife. “You said that he agreed to talk after experiencing Sasuke’s Tsukiyomi.”

            Shikaku cleared his throat, having everyone turn to face him. He was no stranger to the spotlight but that didn’t mean he always enjoyed the stares. He cleared his throat again and pushed his bashfulness down. “There are three problems we must concern ourselves with from that line of action. Although Uchiha-san reacted appropriately in the situation he was in, the fact that Tetsu-san was given the ‘option’ to tell the truth forces us to rely on his word from here on out. It implies that we must word all of our questions carefully and hope he’s still willing to come out with the truth.

            This correlates to the second issue; if we sense that he is lying or withholding any information, we cannot rely on previous methods, such as the Yamanaka clan. Tetsu-san’s mental capacity may have already taken a lot of damage after so many circumstances against him; his arrest, his escape, his recapture, his torturous treatment, and now his recovery. In addition, we must also factor in his jinchūriki status; we do not know his current control level, although we can assume it’s high based off of the reports of the capture mission. With that said, this could potentially bring about a third problem, which is how long we can keep the Kyuubi’s chakra at bay. Even with the best seals made by Jiraiya-sama or Orochimaru-sama, it can only be so long before the beast will want to reconnect with its host and/or vice versa.”

            “Then what do you propose we do, huh?” Jiraiya growled.

            Exhausted from speaking so much, Shikaku released a heavy and long sigh before replying. “Honestly, we should go with the simplest route. We’ve already taken complex directions just in trying to get on an even playing field with Tetsu-san. Instead, I suggest we send either Inoichi-san or Uchiha-san in there to apologize and talk.”

            “Talk, Shikaku? That’s the best idea you can come up with?” Tsunade asked with an arched eyebrow. Her anger seemed to have cool down a smidge thanks to Shikaku’s long speech. It gave her less time to scream and pummel the remaining items in the office.

            “Yes, Sir. It may sound ridiculous, but in your experience as a medical professional, I’m sure you can attest that many times, especially during times of recovery, people tend to talk more. I’m also sure that Inoichi-san, Ibiki-san, and anyone else in T&I can vouch that criminals, once given the appropriate attention, prefer to talk than have their minds peeped through, more times than not.”

            Tsunade nodded, holding her chin in her hand, seeming to consider Shikaku’s words. “I can see where you’re coming from, and I do think using Inoichi is a smart choice, but why Sasuke?”

            “As I’ve mentioned before, an apology should still be warranted. Primarily, I was one of the people that suggested that Uchiha-san would be an effective piece to Tetsu-san’s torture, underestimating his intelligence by assuming his preferences would cloud his judgement. An apology is a means of owning up to that slip-up.”

            “Sounds more like you need to apologize, not the Uchiha,” Jiraiya muttered. Shikaku did hear, but respectfully kept his mouth shut and decided instead on a sideway glance.

            “With all due respect, I will have to decline either way,” Sasuke interjected. Everyone now shifted from Jiraiya and Shikaku, to him.

            “Come again?” Tsunade asked, feeling the edges of anger creeping up on her.

            “Forgive me, Hokage-sama, but I cannot agree to that. Despite previous conversations and plans, we’ve all forgotten that we are still talking about a criminal. Perhaps I _could_ have bypassed Kotetsu’s death, for duty, and justified it with a number of arguments. But in the capture mission, I witnessed something…unspeakable. Using one of those specialized clones of his, without a second guess, he murdered an infant, in front of its mother no less. I will not apologize to an individual who thinks there is _any_ excuse for that kind of action.”

            Silence reigned within the office. Many expected for Tsunade to blow up in retaliation, but she remained calm, much to their surprise. Kakashi seemed uncharacteristically nervous, unsure of what would happen now, similar to Inoichi, who was too busy sweating, while Jiraiya and Shikaku remained impassive. Finally, Tsunde exhaled and clicked her fingers against the window sill behind her broken desk, ignoring the shards of glass that were littered about.

            “I’d like to disagree with you,” she began softly. “Although I do understand. It’d be wrong of me to force you, so I won’t. So we’re gonna scratch the apology—sorry, Shikaku—and instead, have you and Kakahi monitor Inoichi. Once I hear from Sakura or Shizune on Tetsu’s condition, I want Inoichi to step in and see if he can pull the truth out of him. I want no more games or time-wasting tactics but I want one thing understood for all of you: criminal or not, Tetsu _was_ born here in Konoha. Until final sentencing is determined, I will not tolerate misconduct or ‘moral’ judgements other than my own; is this understood?”

            When all present shinobi voiced their consent, Tsunade nodded as confirmation. “Furthermore, Jiraiya, I want you to stay _far away_ from this kid until further notice. Everyone here is witness that you will not be permitted to learn any new updates or current information until I say so. Is this clear?”

            Jiraiya scowled but he understood the reasoning behind the reprimand. “Yes, Hime, understood.”

            “Alright, dismissed, all of you.” No one had to be told twice, well, except for Jiraiya. He remained in the office, staring at Tsunade who also hadn’t moved from her spot. “Are you finally going deaf, ya’ perv?”

            Jiraiya chuckled as he slowly approached Tsunade. “I’m not that old yet. Are you going to sock me if I touch you?”

            After giving him a long look, Tsunade sighed heavily and leaned into Jiraiya’s open arms. “I’m still pissed at you,” she grumbled. “You know I hate it when you don’t respect me enough to listen.”

            “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that,” he whispered into her hair. “I thought my idea was the quickest when it should have been the safest.”

            “That’s Minato’s son, Jiraiya—what were you thinking?” She hissed the words out through gritted teeth, trying to stop herself from sobbing. Even if he were her husband, she disliked him having to see her cry.

            “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” That was all he could manage to say.

~*SUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSUSU*~ 

            “Mind telling me what that was about?”

            “Let’s just say certain things didn’t go as originally planned.”

            “I see…how much trouble are they in?”

            “I doubt they’re all in trouble, but specifically, I’d say Uchiha-san and probably Ibiki-san.”

            “Sasuke?!” Sakura gasped. As a disciple of the slug sannin, she better than anyone knew of Tsunade’s rage. Sure, Sasuke wasn’t one to visibly tremble but that wasn’t what worried her. She knew that if Tsunade couldn’t get a physical reaction out of her ‘victims’ then she’d resort to other methods (i.e. like a month of helping out in hospice or cleaning the dog shit from the Inuzuka’s pens—without the Genin). And she’d keep it up until the person would finally relent. “How serious are we talking?”

            “It’s hard to say,” Shizune said after a heavy sigh. It hadn’t taken long for them to reach the destination of the secret location, which was a sheltered medic shed hidden behind the Hokage Momument. It was built after the Second Shinobi War to help the injured shinobi without the enemy knowing. It hadn’t been used since then but both the Third and Tsunade made sure to upkeep the supplies…one never knew. The other fortunate aspect of the shed was that it was also hidden by a genjutsu, which could only be broken by a medic.

            Shizune used her glowing hands to break the jutsu and allow herself and Sakura to pass through. Sakura liked how it smelled of wet grass, which was an odd thing considering there was nothing but medicine surrounding her. It was a spacious shed with several cots, large shelves and cabinets filled with medicine, wraps, cotton swabs, and a separate section for the more serious injuries. That was where Sakura saw a large door—locked with a padlock.

            “Is…Is that really necessary?”

            “We don’t really know what we’re dealing with, Sakura. So let me warn you now, judge him carefully. We’ve seen him at both his strongest and his weakest but he shouldn’t be underestimated; he’s unpredictable in that regard.”

            “Don’t worry, Shizune. I’m a doctor, I’ll heal whoever no matter what.”

            “Good,” Shizune agreed with a firm nod. “Let’s go.”

            Shizune unlocked the specialized padlock with another wave of her glowing hands and opened the door. The both of them immediately heard the blaring sounds of one of the monitors. Running as fast as two experienced shinobi could run, they quickly made their way towards the noise to discover why it was going as wild as it was.

            Tetsu was sitting up on the bed clutching his stomach, grunting in what sounded like pain. “Fuck,” he kept repeating. Even form where they stood, it was easy to see the red coating Tetsu’s hands.

            “You’re awake,” Shizune whispered in shock. She anticipated from the infections and open wounds that he’d at least be out for a week, or in his case, a couple days.

            Tetsu loosened his scrunched up eyes to look at who had spoken. Both medics noted his heavy breathing and light sheen of sweat on his forehead. “Yeah…it sucks. Give me the best fucking pain killers you got or I’m passing out for good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to original story: http(colon)(double slash)bit . ly(slash) 1LJyqNY  
> or  
> http(colon)(double slash)w .tt(slash) 1cj6Qul


	26. On 2 Conditions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola Folks!  
> Yes! Here’s a long one for that has finally been finalized! Sorry for the longest wait to date. Some update on myself, my family have finally settled in Michigan even though there’s some hiccups to take care of regarding our old home in NJ. We’ve celebrated our first ending of summer, snow, and Thanksgiving, so here’s to experiencing more! I’ve also got a job—I’m a home health aide for patients with various stages of dementia. It’s a bit wild at times but pretty interesting and the main reason why I couldn’t dedicate time to write. However, I just purchased a new mini-notebook which is portable and easy to travel with. It should help me when I have dire literary urges. So here’s a new chap, please review and/or follow—tell me what you think? Thanks so much guys and have some Happy Holidays!!   
> Furthermore, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!  
> Eggs and Bacon,  
> CrimsonNi

_“Yeah…it sucks. Give me the best fucking pain killers you got or I’m passing out for good.”_

 

 

            The blood loss wasn’t tremendous but still, Sakura couldn’t help but stare at the stains decorating Tetsu’s abdomen. It was such a dark red, darker than what she was used to seeing. She reached for the area before Shizune, who was busy collecting the—quote—‘ _best fucking pain killers she had’_ —unquote—in the other room and charged her hands with green healing chakra. She suddenly realized that there had to have been binds and medical wraps covering his wounds but they were none to be found.

            “Did you remove your bindings?” She didn’t want Tetsu to know that she was very wary of him, one could even say scared, so she forced herself to stare directly into his eyes, feeling shocked when she encountered a pair of bright blues. They were unlike anything she had ever seen. Perhaps it was the influence of the fox, but these were a shade so foreign to her, so inhumanely blue that if anything, she grew more wary of him. What vexed her most was that she had already encountered Tetsu before, although he was disguised as someone else. She knew something was amiss when she bumped into ‘Ishiki-san’ hence why there wasn’t any hesitance in ratting his identity out. So why was she so nervous now?

            “Tore them right off,” Tetsu replied bluntly. His voice sounded a bit strained, not as it was before when they first found him, breathless and faint. He had been staring at her, following the movements of her hands, looking completely unafraid even though he didn’t know if she were actually intending to hurt him.

            “Why?” She asked. Continuing the conversation seemed like the only way to calm her nerves.

            “I was bleeding…a lot. I’d normally heal before seeing so much blood so I panicked.”

            “How fast do you normally heal?”

            “Depends,” he said with a grin. “When Kurama fancies, he could take up to seconds or days. I’d probably be all healed by now if he weren’t being suppressed somehow.”

            Sakura halted her hands and dared another look at Tetsu. Although he was still grinning, there was a seriousness to his expression that made Sakura want to turn and haul ass. Shizune was right, he was much too unpredictable. Not knowing what to say in response, Sakura remained quiet, concentrated on the more serious wounds around his waist. Some of the wounds seemed deep and seriously infected way before she was even assigned to this task; it made her wonder how much worse off he had been before she came here. She also wondered how it was medically possible for such serious infections to just be healed without any worry of side effects or repercussions. Was he like Lady Tsunade who had to shave off years of her life in order to speed up her own recovery process? Or would the fox ensure he’d live for a very long time? She knew jinjuriki couldn’t live forever but then again, she didn’t really _know_ much about them. Why hadn’t anyone thought to research them…?

            “Are you nervous?”

            She had been so deep in her thoughts that when his question snapped her out of her reverie, she jumped. She had to tame the urge to sucker punch him when he smiled. “What’d you say?” But then she paused and processed the words she was certain he had spoken. “Why would you think that?”

            “Well it’s either that or arousal—the two can smell pretty similar, you know. I doubt it’s the latter, probably because I’m not your type, right? I’m probably much too _blonde_ and have too _blue_ eyes.”

            She blushed at his frankness. He just blatantly admitted he could smell human odors without an ounce of shame or worry that he could offend her. Instead, he sat there with this aura of calmness that bothered her greatly. Why was he so calm? Was he trying to trick her; weaken her resolve to then try and sneak out as he had done before his capture? However, what really bothered her was her inability to know what he was hinting at. Even if it were a scheme he was cooking up, she couldn’t help but admit she was falling for it from severe curiosity.

            “H-How would you know what my type is?”

            He bit at his bottom lip but then a huge grin broke free, as if he couldn’t control it. As if her question was exactly what he hoped for. “You know, I’ve asked myself how I’ve ended up here pretty frequently. It gives me time to retrace my steps and replay my actions.” He stopped so he could pull his arms back behind his head. Sakura assumed that she had lessened his pain enough for him to afford such movements. “There’s this one scene I keep replaying, over and over again, and I just couldn’t figure it out. There was an explanation to everything else except for this one scene. So I’ve had to create some theories, to help pass the time, of course. Maybe you can give me your opinion and tell me if I might be on the right track.”

            Sakura swallowed, suddenly feeling more than nervous. She subtly looked behind her towards the exit and wondered if it were possible to run with enough time to remain unscathed. Despite knowing that he was still significantly injured and Lady Tsunade had some powerful seals keeping the demon fox at bay, Sakura was still certain that Tetsu was capable of pulling something. He must have smelled her extra nervousness since Sakura noticed his nostrils flare and that smug grin returned once more.

            He continued. “So the scene stars myself and you, except I wasn’t actually ‘myself’. I was trying to escape the clutches of your village and for safety, I disguised myself as someone no one should have found overly suspicious. Yet, some beautiful Rosette called out for my attention, blabbering questions that shouldn’t have fazed my resolve. When we parted ways, I should have successfully been able to escape, especially since I changed my disguise again, but alas, I was captured.

            “I’ve wondered how such a thing could be. I _should_ have been able to get out scot free…So I investigated the matter. I keep pausing at the moment when the beautiful Rosette laughs at my moment of hesitation when I couldn’t voice what proper name to call her and she assures me that I am allowed to call her by birth name, to not worry about her “future” surname at all. But isn’t that a wonder? Clearly the Rosette was familiar with the man I disguised myself as—she knew his schedule enough to confront him and ask if he would visit his brother. She’s a nurse or a doctor of sorts! She has to know him well enough from the numerous times she’s confronted him as his brother’s medic. Because if you remember, the Rosette said ‘I’ may  still call her _Sakura_. Why would ‘I’ need to be reassured what to call her? Why would ‘I’ assume things would change after she got married?

            “So I’ve theorized that a man such as ‘I’ only need to be assured when ‘I’ no longer feel part of the equation. When ‘I’ may no longer be _allowed_ to call her Sakura, but only as Mrs…’Not _my_ last name’.”

It wasn’t so much the truth of his words or the feelings of guilt gnawing at Sakura’s conscience, it was the pure confidence Tetsu radiated. He didn’t sound mocking or smug, but honest to such a serious extent, Sakura’s skin burned. She felt scorched from having the truth smacked across her face. She felt as if she were being morally audited by the devil himself. Tears burned behind her eyes but she refused to let them fall.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sakura whispered grimly. She wanted to hiss the words in his face, to warn him and shut him up, but his piercing gaze scared her, had her trembling.

“Tell me, what do you think? Am I far off in my assumption? In assuming that the Rosette is but a _vulnerable_ flower acting as a sanction for more than one bee?” He asked, completely ignoring her desire for his silence.

            The sound of a loud thump interrupted Tetsu’s maniacal expression of victory over Sakura’s paled and horrid expression. Both turned their gazes at the door and saw Shizune with nothing more than her mouth opened in shock. She looked like a fish out of water. It looked as if she wanted to say something, but her mouth wouldn’t work to her favor, so she just remained there, frozen and paralyzed.  

            “S-Shizune, wait, I can—“

            “What perfect timing! This beautiful _Rosette_ here has patched me up pretty well but some of these other ones hurt like a bitch. If you wouldn’t mind providing me with a large enough dosage to numb those…?”

            Shizune continued to look between the two faces, slowly coming out of her shock. She blinked a few times, licking her suddenly dry lips, and then hurriedly appeared by Tetsu’s side. Her eyes were solely trained on Tetsu, not once glancing at Sakura. The room was filled with thick tension but it only seemed to derive from the two women, with Tetsu basking in it as if that were his only source of energy.

            “Since you’ve heard everything, what’s your thought on the matter?”

            Shizune gave a strong poke to Tetsu’s forearm with one of the syringes she had in her possession, causing an unwelcome grunt from him. “The Hokage has been alerted of your conciseness and condition. Since you have enough awareness to joke around, I presume you won’t mind having any visitors in a little bit.”

            “Would these visitors happen to be tall handsome men wearing very little or tiny clothing?”

            Neither Shizune nor Sakura could suppress the blushes adorning their cheeks. As medical professionals, sex wasn’t a controversial or uncomfortable topic to discuss, however, if even to themselves, it had to be admitted that they weren’t too knowledgeable in the workings of male-homosexual sex. The lack of knowledge could only be filled with imagination and speculation, which brought about provocative images that made Shizune redden even more. Sakura noticed this and lightly nudged Shizune to silently tip her off that she was wondering the same things.

            “N-No, and stop being so vulgar, especially in the presence of two ladies. I suggest you get whatever rest you can gain; they will be here soon.” Shizune quickly grabbed the medicine and supplies she had brought in and power walked out the door with Sakura following quickly behind after making sure Tetsu was secured.

            That was until they were outside of the room. Shizune didn’t seem to want to slow down or even be near the same breathing space as Sakura. She hurried into one of other rooms, leaving Sakura the responsibility of locking the large door and securing it with her own chakara. Sakura’s blood boiled when she thought of how this even happened. Damn Tetsu and his perceptiveness. That was the kind of observation one would expect from the Nara clan….Now she had to worry and wonder how she could nip this in the bud before it grew into a nasty battle. It had to start with Shizune.

            Sakura marched into the room where Shizune was busy disposing of the used syringes she used on Tetsu. Although she hadn’t turned around, Sakura noticed the slight tensing of her body language. “You don’t understand,” Sakura said, albeit quietly.

            Nevertheless, Shizune heard. “I misheard, that’s all.”

            That was a window for Sakura to leap through. Right there, Shizune was giving her an out to not talk about this, to not have to explain her actions like a child would to a parent. Because at the end of the day, Shizune wasn’t her mom or guardian, wasn’t anyone that had a right to tell her what she could or could not do. Yet, it didn’t sit well with Sakura to have Shizune suddenly distrust her character.

            “No, you didn’t—“

            “Sakura, it’s alright, I wasn’t sure what I heard. Just drop it, okay?”

            “I can’t, you don’t understand! You didn’t mishear, you heard correctly. I want to explain myself.”

            Without warning, Shizune turned around, facing Sakura with a look or anger and disappointment. “You’re only wanting to explain because you got caught. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have said anything before, so you don’t need to now. Keep it to yourself, I don’t want to be involved.”

            “Don’t judge me like you have that right. It was a mistake but I’m not completely in the wrong.”

            “Is that right? Then does Sasuke know?” When she was answered with silence, Shizune nodded. “I thought so.”

            “He doesn’t know because he won’t talk to me or let me talk to him. You know, I’ve tried to be direct about it, leave clues here and there so he could second guess what the hell was going on. You know what he tells me? He’s too stressed and tired—every time. He hasn’t touched me in months, _months!_ And the last time he did, not only did I initiate it, I stopped it. We were going well over 2 hours without him finishing. At one point, he looked like he was being tortured, so I had to turn around like some hooker trying to off a diminishing 80-year old without the Viagra.”

            Shizune’s face softened. “O-Oh, Sakura—“

            “It wasn’t right, I know and I’m not proud. It just happened one night and it was just the _perfect_ thing I needed. A guy that wanted and gave. But I love Sasuke and whenever I try to approach him, he’s just…not there. I don’t know what else to do.”

            The look on her face brought about a guilty one on Shizune. Maybe she overacted in her anger towards Sakura’s actions. Hoping that Sakura would forgive her, she closed in on Sakura’s inverted form and hugged her tightly. She felt Sakura shake in her arms, crying out tears that should have been released ages ago. Not that she understood exactly what she was going through, but she did understand heartbreak and the general symptoms were no different. “It’s okay, Sakura. You’re okay.”

            “I don’t know what to do,” Sakura repeated, whispering into Shizune’s clothes.

            “Just ask yourself if your love is worth this kind of relationship. Will you have to resort to having an affair the rest of your life to make up for how much you love Sasuke?”

            The questions were valid and Sakura did wonder those same things when she thought about her coming-soon marriage. However, the side of her that has always wanted this, always had faith in her loyalty and love for Sasuke, felt compelled to believe in him still. “He’s very flawed but I think he’s just stressed over many things. He’s part of ANBU and he’s still not over matters about Itachi, and now the mess with this situation…”

            “Sakura, he may be feeling overwhelmed but why does he feel compelled to handle them all alone? Shouldn’t he consider your feelings and stance aside from his own?”

            “Well…I guess,” Sakura said weakly. There was no conviction to her tone which worried Shizune.

She worried that if this continued, Sakura was going to diminish and turn into a _true_ Uchiha wife—a woman rumored to be mere property to the men. A woman with no power or opinion, just an incubator for the many sons they’d have to bare. Shizune wasn’t certain if Sasuke had that sort of personality since Itachi certainly didn’t, but still, for the man to be going through with a wedding he clearly didn’t want, dissatisfying a fiancé he clearly didn’t want to marry, this didn’t spell well for Sakura. However, before Shizune could say any more comforting words, Kakashi spoke.

“Yo,” he simply said. He spoke as if he were in the room all along. Both women jumped but Sakura had a look of horror crossing her features. She too worried that Kakashi may have heard their conversation.

“K-Kakashi-san! You startled us!”

“Gomen, gomen. I just got here and decided to walk right in. Sasuke and Inoichi-san are waiting at that big door I presume our guest is behind?” If Kakashi noticed Sakura subtly wiping at her puffy, moist eyes, he chose not to look too long or comment, much to the relief of both women.

“Yes, you presume correctly. Then I guess we should go, right Sakura?”

Sakura merely nodded and kept her head down as she followed behind Shizune towards the bog door. As Kakashi had said, Sasuke and Inoichi were waiting by the door, Inoichi looking more anxious that Sasuke’s body language. Even without it, Sakura knew his face was probably neutral and unemotive.

“Okay everyone,” Shizune began, gaining everyone’s attention. “I’m sure Tsunade-sama has already caught you up to speed in Tetsu-san’s condition. He is awake and very coherent although is injuries are extensive so he may give some hassle and use his pain as a distraction. He knows the demon is being suppressed and will probably also use that to avoid answering your questions. Both Sakura and I will remain on standby to monitor his condition during the interrogation so please keep in mind that if we deem him unfit to continue, the  interrogation will stop, understood?” All parties nodded. “Very well, be cautious, be aware, and be very careful.”

She used her chakra to open the lock once again and lead everyone towards Tetsu. Just as they left him, he was wide awake on his bed, looking up at the ceiling with his arms stretched up behind his head. He seemed unconcerned for the new people walking in, in fact, he almost seemed to ignore them. If it hadn’t been for his twitching ears or flaring of nostrils, Kakashi would have believed he really didn’t notice them in there. The room was suddenly silent since no one knew how to begin; even Inoichi couldn’t seem to find the right beginnings to get started. He remembered the warning he was given in the Hokage’s office so he wanted to tread carefully, but just how careful should he be? He didn’t know Tetsu-s triggers and if the wrong thing was said, it was guaranteed Tetsu would shut down. After a very long minute, Inoichi cleared his throat, making Tetsu’s ears twitch.

“I was expecting a different set of men, to be honest,” Tetsu said. He hadn’t moved in inch, still not looking at anyone in the room.

“Are you disappointed?” Inoichi asked.

“No disrespect, but yes. I’ve dealt with you all before in some way or another. It would have been much more fun to try and manipulate someone new.”

“Just manipulate? You wouldn’t have tried to escape?” He was hoping his tone sounded teasing enough even if he didn’t feel being in a teasing mood.

That had Tetsu wanting to resist a smirk, but he couldn’t and allowed it to crack through his blank façade. “I can still try, you know, but it’d be a little tiring since I’d be running around without knowing what happened to Kurama.”

“Who is Kurama?”

Tetsu rolled his eyes. “You know exactly who he is. Better question is _where_ is Kurama?”

“Actually, if you don’t mind, I prefer to ask you some questions since that is why you’re here.”

That caused Tetsu to finally turn his head to look at Inoichi. His blue eyes were narrowed and strangely bright, startling Inoichi. “I’m here because of a mistake. Never, and I mean _never_ —despite even visiting the Hidden Village in the Clouds—have I ever met a nation so anal as this one. The fucked up part is I didn’t even rape the kid…”

Inoichi had to uncomfortably clear his throat. “That may have been how it started but that isn’t why you’re here now.”

“Right, my little secret got out and now everyone is curious as to what happened.”

“Well, quite frankly, yes. You were kidnapped from this village and presumed deceased.”

“Hmm, tough shit, Mr. Blonde. If your people gave up after some dead ends and gave up on the notion that I was still alive, then there’s no need to change that. I can still be ‘dead’, you know.”

“Why? Why do you not want us to acknowledge your existence?”

“You know, I may be compelled to answer,” Tetsu replied but this time, he sounded tired and unmotivated to keep up his charade. “But it only takes one to ask such invasive questions. Don’t see the need for your gang of two there.”

“Tough shit,” Sasuke surprisingly interjected. Everyone looked at him with shock, even the ever relaxed Kakashi. “You can’t be trusted because of your previous antics so either get to the point or we’ll return to our previous methods.”

“Lynx! Report to the Hokage immediately! You were told to keep your composure!” It was hard to tell if Sasuke even felt regretful for speaking as he had done since his body language didn’t seem to suggest it. “Kakashi, see to it—“

“Relax, Mr. Blonde, my feelings aren’t hurt. I seem to recall making a devilish deal with a Mr. Beautiful and even though I didn’t want to, I did agree to it. Good to see you again, Mr. Beautiful,” he said with a now wide and smug grin. Unbeknownst to him, Sasuke was gritting his teeth to withhold his rage. That grin could only remind Sasuke of his battle with Napo, of that accented monster and his pet, murdering a child for pleasure. “How about this? I answer your pestering questions but only under two conditions.”

“Which are?” Inoichi asked. He was still looking at Sasuke, angered by his outburst and potential running of the interrogation.

“The first being complete immunity. I will not be guilty of _any_ crime before or after my arrest and recapture and once I’m done being interrogated, I go scot-free.”

“And what of the second?”

“I get my fox back.”

“After the interrogation, you mean.”

“No, _now_.”

Before Inoichi could speak again, Sasuke objected—again. “Absolutely not! So you can escape again? Murder more children?”

“LYNX!!”

Although Sasuke’s words made him frown at first, Tetsu still found it within himself to smile. “Well then you’re really in some tough shit. See, I don’t know how long I’ve been without Kurama, but I doubt it’ll be much longer. You can subject me again to torture all you’d like but at some point he’s going to feel my life slipping away and when you least expect it, he’s going to burst free and find me. Then he’s going to find out what you’ve done to his living, much needed host and I can assure you, he won’t tolerate any excuses. We’ll then make a major break for it, possibly taking down a life or two if we meet any resistance, and this time, we’ll hide away forever.”

Sasuke could no longer take it; he removed his mask, slamming it down on the ground, revealing his red, spiraling eyes. He wanted to reach for Tetsu’s throat, but Kakshi had him pinned before he could do it. Inoichi was now standing, his face an angry red from both embarrassment and fury. “Kakashi, get him out of here.” Sasuke struggled against Kakashi’s harsh hold but eventually, he listened and allowed Kakashi to walk him out.

“Such a home-loving fool. A shame.”

“This could have been your home. It still could be,” Inoichi said quietly, still facing the door Kakashi and Sasuke left from.

“But it isn’t, still isn’t. I’m sorry for that,” Tetsu replied just as lowly, his prior amusing tone gone. His reply surprised Inoichi and left him speechless. “My conditions?”

Inoichi knew Tetsu asked to change the subject but he didn’t have it in him to argue. The conditions weren’t something he expected and this loop was something he needed another opinion on. “…I will need to confer with the Hokage.”

“You do that, Mr. Blonde. I’ll be here waiting.”

Inoichi dared a look at Tetsu. He didn’t want to look at him before, scared that he’d see the malicious demon that clearly Sasuke and everyone else could see. He had been the one earlier to acknowledge Tetsu’s potential loyalty and innocence; he didn’t want the truth reveled to him this way. He had no problem being wrong, he just didn’t want to be wrong about Tetsu. He believed in him, for whatever reason he couldn’t explain, he just did.

However, when he looked at Tetsu, what he saw wasn’t a vindictive monster, a smiling victor, or anything similar. He saw a young kid, like the little kid he saw in the clone’s mentality. Big blue eyes, guilty innocence, and an exhaustive struggle written strongly in the furrows of his face. Inoichi was right, Tetsu was a good kid, just against rough odds. Perhaps Tetsu was scared that Inoichi wasn’t coming back, that his earlier threat scared him off. He wanted to somehow assure Tetsu that that wasn’t the case, but even if he knew how, it was probably best to hold off on that. Things with Tetsu needed to be done slowly and with precision, including gaining his trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to original story: http(colon)(double slash)bit . ly(slash) 1LJyqNY  
> or  
> http(colon)(double slash)w .tt(slash) 1cj6Qul


	27. The Inner Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,  
> I’m back at it again with another chapter after over 3 months of silence. Without beating around the bush, the truth is I left my job at the dementia specialists place and have been out of a job. Money was beginning to get a little tight for me and searching for another job proved to be a long and tedious process. Unfortunately, it put me in a funk—a depression of sorts—and just didn’t have the motivation to write. The good news is that I was given an offer (although I wish the hours were better) and will slowly be able to get back on my feet. I apologize, with all of my heart, for the long wait and hope this chapter does enough justice. Thank you for all who waited patiently and I’ll work on getting on a more routine schedule.  
> P.S.: Last half of the chapter has some sexy-type stuff going on so for those that appreciate warnings, there you go.  
> Furthermore, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!  
> Eggs and Bacon,  
> CrimsonNi

_Things with Tetsu needed to be done slowly and with precision, including gaining his trust_.

 

            “How are **earth** did we all arrive back here? Did I not specifically say that no misconduct would be tolerated?”

            Tsunade was seething. She wasn’t screaming or throwing things around, but the bite to her tone was dangerous. Before her stood Kakashi with a cuffed Sasuke kneeling on the ground while Inoichi stood in the back with Shizune.

            “What possessed you to disobey me during such a critical assignment? You, a member of ANBU. An _Uchiha_.”

            “I was out of line, Lady Hokage, and I offer no good reason as for why. Only that I lost control of my anger.”

            “That is not good enough, neither as an apology nor as any form of reason. I am highly disappointed in you; had shinobi of another nation witnessed such a disgrace, _that_ would have been good enough reason for them to keep distance from us. What I don’t understand is what your real problem is.”

            “As I’ve said before, Sir, I witnessed that… _being_ …commit a heinous act—“

            “You are part of ANBU, Sasuke. The witnessing of crimes to you are supposed to be as common as the cold is in the winter and it is not as if you haven’t witnessed even your own countrymen commit crimes.”

            “None of these crimes compare to this, Sir. This was a child—no, an infant, crying for its mother when it was ripped away from her arms and brutally murdered right in front of her. There was no need—“

            “Did you seek help?!” Tsunade finally screamed. “Did you converse with a medic, any health professional, Sakura even, after confronting this trauma?” Sasuke did not answer. Instead his eyes were glued to hers, narrowed and ashamed as he remained knelt on the floor. “Then why don’t you cut the bullshit and tell me what’s really going on.”

            Sasuke increased the stress lines on his face and couldn’t help but silently voice his confusion. “Sir…?”

            “This runs deeper than whatever you’re telling me. If this were truly about you feeling disgusted by Tetsu-san’s criminal actions, then by that logic, you should feel disgusted with a lot of your comrades. Need I remind you what you and Kakashi have done in the past within ANBU? Or how about your brother’s reputation while he too used to be an active ANBU elite?”

            The defensive reaction was instant. Her words were a low-blow, Sasuke felt, but she wasn’t wrong…He has done some things he wasn’t proud of but each action was justified for the good of the village. And if he couldn’t argue that for himself, he certainly could for Itachi! He’ll be damned if someone, especially the Hokage, dared to argue otherwise. Yet, with all of that being said, he had a feeling—granted, it was very faint—that the Hokage was trying to get him to realize something. Maybe she _was_ right and something was unusual about this case. Why did this criminal agitate him so much? What was it about Tetsu that unnerved him?

            As Sasuke tried desperately to find the answers to his questions, the only thing that kept running through his mind, images as clear as a cloudless day, were blue eyes. Tetsu’s eyes were the most frightening, yet unique thing about him. In normal circumstances, Sasuke’d be able to get a good read on people just by a quick glance of their face, but Tetsu was a wild card. There was no consistency! He went from being childish to seductive to furious all within the span of a five-minute conversation.

            “…I don’t know,” he finally replied.

            “Well until you figure it out, you’re on probation. You will no longer be involved in this case and if this continues to be an issue, I will personally see to it that your memories are wiped clean of this. Are we clear?”

            “Yes Sir.”

            “Good, now Kakashi, I want a report of today’s _botch_ and for you to escort Sasuke to his home. Make sure he receives his much needed rest and stress relief.”

            “Of course, Hokage-sama.”

            “I also want that report by the end of today, _no excuses_. As for you Inoichi-san, you mentioned that you needed to speak with me so stay tight.” All parties moved with the finality of her tone. Before she could finish her large exhale, Kakashi and Sasuke were out her door, leaving Inoichi and Shizune. “Okay, speak.”

            “It’s of course regarding Tetsu-san. I promised I’d speak with you in regards to the conditions he’s set for his cooperation.”

            “Conditions? Don’t tell me you’ve allowed him to bully you into making a list of demands.”

            “No, Hokage-sama. He had 2 conditions; the first being the promise of full immunity and the second being the return of his biju. In addition, he wants the biju before he cooperates.”

            “Cocky, isn’t he?”

            “His levels of smugness could use some improvement…”

            “Well unfortunately, his conditions make this situation all the more troubling since I’ll have no choice but to confer with the council. Although I have a good feeling that they’ll nix the idea before I even finish saying it.”

            “Actually, Hokage-sama, I might have an idea that you could present to them but it depends on how you feel about it.”

            “Go on then, what is it?”

            “Throughout the whole ordeal, Tetsu-san’s temperament fluctuated all over the place, but was most resigned after Sasuke-san’s outburst. He called him a ‘home-loving fool’ and when I implied that he could still be a citizen of the village, he declined but then apologized right after. He then immediately changed the subject,” Inoichi explained. Tsunade could tell that he seemed a tad excited as he relayed this information.

            “As odd as that sounds, I’m not sure where you’re going with this.”

            “What I’m trying to say is that Tetsu-san does a very good job in disguising certain insecurities but for a moment, I could tell that he wanted to agree with me. We’re talking about a _child_ in an adult’s body, who wasn’t properly socialized, who has been traumatized in one extreme way or another, and who relies on the self-creating personalities of his own shadow clones.

            “I think we need to match Tetsu-san’s conditions with our own.”

            “Are you suggesting what I think you are…?”

            “It is risky,” Inoichi tried to assure quickly. “But I think it is worth the gamble. Perhaps Shikaku had the right idea in apologizing, just not the right method in doing so.”

            “What a way to apologize,” Tsunade scoffed.

            “If there was a bigger way to do it, I’d do it. He’s owed that much, especially after everything he’s been through.”

            And Tsunade agreed. She had no right in thinking Tetsu deserved any less. It was the village that failed in protecting him and it resulted in this mess. Now it was just a matter of convincing council. “Very well, thank you for the report. I’ll make an emergency meeting tonight and will let you know how to proceed tomorrow.

            “Of course, Hokage-sama.” Inoichi then bowed to both Tsunade and Shizune, preparing himself to leave until Tsunade’s voice called him back.

            “Before you go, I just have one question.”

            “Yes, Hokage-sama?”

            “Why are you so deeply invested in this boy? Although I admire your passion to this case, I can’t help but feel that like Sasuke, you’re getting personally involved.”

            Shikaku had made the same observation so Inoichi wasn’t surprised that Tsunade-sama would eventually arrive to the same idea. However, that didn’t mean Inoichi was any closer to an answer for that question. He still couldn’t fully explain _why_ he felt so compelled to protect Tetsu, but he did, he wanted to. Something about him intrigued him and before he could fall any farther down his own isolated world, Inoichi wanted to do his best to drag him back.

            “I can’t speak of Sasuke-san’s intentions, but I can say that mine or more positive. I truly think that with the right approach, Tetsu can be rehabilitated and assimilated.”

            “Very well, you are dismissed.” With another bow, Inoichi took his leave. “Shizune, call the council and the old man for the meeting. Tell them it’s urgent.”

            “Yes, Lady Tsunade.”

**Meanwhile…**

            “Wouldn’t it have been quicker if we shushin-ed here instead of walking at your old man pace?!” Sasuke growled. He was still cuffed with Kakashi holding on to him tight, acting as if Sasuke were the criminal threatening to run away.

            “I’m not that old, Sasuke-kun, and yes it would have been quicker except you’re being punished. So the old-fashioned method of transportation it is.”

            Sasuke bit his lip to quell the urge to violently snap at his partner/mentor. Kakashi could seriously be a pain in the ass! Thus reluctantly, he kept his mouth shut and allowed Kakashi to manhandle him to the front of his home. Just like the leisurely walk they took to get here, Kakashi took his time to grab the keys from his pocket to unlock the cuffs. It took everything in him not to find a way to stab the older man and gain the most intense pleasure from it.

            Once the cuffs were unlocked, Sasuke immediately distanced himself and opened the front door of his house—by breaking the doorknob since it was locked. “Mission accomplished, see you,” he muttered. But Kakashi braced his hand against the door before Sasuke could slam it shut.

            How the man moved as quick and as silently as he did still would surprise Sasuke from time to time and this time was no different, but now Sasuke grew frustrated since he wanted the man to leave. Kakashi kept his dark eyes boring into Sasuke. “I know we don’t normally speak to each other like the typical partners but for once, I’d like you to heed some advice. I trust you to handle any challenge I or this village could ever throw in your way and this would not be any different. Whatever it is that is throwing you off, fix it so we can get back to work. This situation will only get weirder from here on out so I need you there with all of your cockiness and somewhat level-headiness. Clear?”

            Sasuke frowned at the “somewhat” part, but nodded along to the rest of Kakashi’s words. Despite this type of talk feeling embarrassing to the Uchiha, he understood where the older man was coming from and silently vowed to work on this rut he was currently stuck in. Seeing that Sasuke absorbed his words, Kakashi gave a light wave and a smile before shunshin-ing away. Instead of slamming the door as he originally wanted, Sasuke stood there at the opening, replaying Kakashi’s and Tsunade’s words. He had a lot to go over and that just made him feel all the more tired. Slowly, he closed the door and placed the broken doorknob on the nearby coffee table where he’s usually thrown the previous broken doorknobs.

            “Rough day?” He heard a voice ask from the living room. Once again, Itachi was sitting in the living room with his legs propped up and a book in his hand. This had almost felt like déjà vu. “I see you’ve broken another doorknob…”

            “Don’t ask. I’m going to head to bed and nap before dinner.”

            “Wouldn’t you prefer to talk about it, little brother? From what I heard at the door, it seems you are quite in a bit of trouble.”

            Sasuke grimaced but he couldn’t be too upset since they weren’t exactly whispering. He knew that if Itachi had the choice, he wouldn’t have eavesdropped. Still, he felt much too cranky and tired to not feel at least a bit bothered. “I’d rather not…not right now. But if you need anything, just wake me up.”

            “Alright, have a nice nap.” Itachi immediately returned to his book as Sasuke turned and trudged up the stairs to his bedroom. The unfortunate thing was that he wanted to tell Sasuke something that he felt was rather important but looking at his younger brother’s haggard face, perhaps it wasn’t a good time to bring it up. Then again, this seemed much more convenient. He just hopes that it doesn’t back fire like it did the last time.

            Thankfully, it didn’t take much for Sasuke to go to sleep. He allowed gravity to pull him down and the rest took a faithful course. He assumed that a rest like this would be like a jump in time, no memory or dreams, just the _then_ and _now_. However, that wasn’t the case this time. As strange as it sounded, Sasuke knew the instant he was dreaming because he found himself sitting in the middle of one of the training grounds; the wind was blowing lightly, the temperature felt fantastic (with a very slight crisp), Sakura and Kakashi were giggling across from him…making fun of him? No, they weren’t even looking at him, they were looking…next to him. Slowly, he turned his head and nearly turned blind from the obnoxious orange glowing under the sun. But looking past that, he saw long tan limbs attached to a slim but muscular torso covered by an awful ensemble. It was a unit of orange capris, a black t-shirt under a thinly designed **orange** jacket—seriously, how much orange can one person wear legally?!

            Looking up., Sasuke noted the long neck and the round head made up of full lips—stretched into a ridiculously wide grin at the moment—and six exotic markings right above them, adjacent on each side to his nose. His eyes trailed even further up and saw them again, those blue eyes accentuated by golden hair. The color on them were dancing, shining so vividly, Sasuke actually worried he would hurt his own eyes staring too intently at them. But what intrigued him most was the fact that these eyes were blown wide from laughter and happiness.

            “Why’re you staring so hard, Teme?” Tetsu asked. His voice was a tad high pitched but there was enough baritone to balance it out. He turned to smirk at him, allowing the sunlight to shift right on the side of his face and his eyes somehow shined even brighter from whatever amusement he was experiencing.

            “What the hell is this, Dobe?” Sasuke demanded, ignoring the confused stares from Sakura and Kakashi. What he couldn’t ignore, however, was the natural taste in his mouth after saying the insulting nickname.

            Tetsu seemed to have ignored them as well. “Why are you asking, you already know you’re dreaming.”

            “Why would I be dreaming of this or of you? Especially you. I don’t know you.”

            The smirk reformed itself from a smirk to a pout of sorts. “As your subconscious, I’d normally give some kind of complex clue that would force you to use common sense but you are an _Uchiha_ after all and that kind of logic doesn’t blend well so I’ll save us both the time and jump right into it.”

            Sasuke growled in annoyance. “What did you just say?”

            “Sub-con- _scious_. That means _you’re_ the one really thinking all of this. You’re just using my handsome face to say it.”

            “I’m gonna—“

            “Alright! Calm down, geez. Look, there’s really not that much to explain; you’re just imagining what it would have been like had we grown up together. And to an extent, that curiosity could also be taken as wishful thinking…”

            “Yeah, I don’t think so.”

            “Once again, say it with me now, **SUB-CON-SCIOUS**.”

            “Except I hate you and this subconscious bullshit is just nightmare fodder.”

            Tetsu huffed in agitation. “Right because sitting in a meadow with me is so scary. If you’re going to be that stubborn, I’ll have no choice but to give you a more effective wakeup call otherwise you’ll be on probation forever.”

            Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I wouldn’t threaten myself if any of what you’re saying is true.”

            Suddenly, Tetsu was smirking again but the viciousness of his eyes gave that smirk a more dangerous feeling. “No one said anything about threats and I think you know that very well.” The background atmosphere went from sunny training ground with Sakura and Kakashi to pitch black. There was no sky or ground, no scenery, no warmth, just black.

            “What the fuck is going on?”

            Tetsu leaned forward to showcase the teeth of his grin. “The actual truth, _Teme_.” With a snap of his fingers, there was a mattress under them and Tetsu went from being next to him to on top…with a very obvious lack of clothes.

            “O-Oi!!”

            His limbs weren’t usable. Although he felt warm by Tetsu’s body, he still felt numb. “Isn’t this what you really want? To fucking _own_ me?” He leaned down until his mouth was right by his ear. “To see these pretty blues glow? That’s why, right? That’s why you’re so pissed.” Sasuke had to bite back a gasp when he felt a warm hand roughly grab his—surprisingly—leaking cock. “Because I killed those people, was covered in sweat and blood, disrespected you, and somehow made you harder than that bitch who calls herself your woman.”

            “Fuck you!” Sasuke spat venomously. He couldn’t believe any of this nonsense but every word Tetsu spoke, his chest twisted violently. He wanted to throw up from the intensity.

            “With gusto.”

            Sasuke’s eyes nearly flew out of his head when his cock was suddenly engulfed in searing heat. It left him speechless as he watched Tetsu use his body with abandon, encasing him in the most vexing realm of pleasure he had ever felt. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy it, but something felt off, just something wasn’t making sense to him. Shouldn’t he be stopping this? Why wasn’t his mind and body rejecting this notion? _Subconscious_. He…likes Tetsu? Or does he just want to fuck him? Neither of those options made any fucking sense! Sasuke wanted to rage, to claw at something, to bite something, oddly enough, to rut into something until his head felt less cloudy.

            “God, you feel so good Sasuke!” Tetsu shouted as he rode him.

            …Except that didn’t sit well with him. He stared at Tetsu, really looked at him, and noticed his shape looked distorted. His figure was blurry and his voice, although arousing, sounded like it was getting higher in pitch. And did Tetsu just refer to him as Sasuke? Not _Teme_ or _Mr. Beautiful_. That seemed to have clicked for Sasuke and he could suddenly see Tetsu’s form shifting from tan to pale, blonde to pink, blue to green. The room around him became defined with details, like his desk and bookcase and other belongings. Holy shit he was in his room. He was actually awake right now. He was currently having sex with Sakura right now. What was worse was the quiet voice in the back of his head telling him how disappointing it was that it wasn’t actually Tetsu….


	28. Deal With the Devil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,  
> Woah, hey there folks, been a while! Work has been kicking my ass and school is no better D=. Not to mention that this chapter was pretty agonizing to spit out. SPOILER: I’ve concluded that I like writing angst (describing fights and insults) but to build-up a break-up and describe the aftermath challenged me some. So I hope the first half of this chapter was relatable enough…  
> This chapter is a bit shorter than most but that’s how plot conveniences work! *cough* Thanks CinemaSins *cough*.  
> Furthermore, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!  
> Eggs and Bacon,  
> CrimsonNi

_What was worse was the quiet voice in the back of his head telling him how disappointing it was that it wasn’t actually Tetsu…._

 

            “S-Sakura?!” Sasuke gasped out. His abrupt movement startled Sakura and embarrassingly enough, she toppled backwards, landing awkwardly on her back with her legs spread wide open.

            “Sasuke, what the hell? What’s wrong?”

            “What’s wrong?!” He shouted. He could feel blood burning his cheeks but whether it was more embarrassment or anger, he wasn’t sure. “What do you _mean_ what’s wrong? What the fuck are you doing?!”

            Sakura righted herself and grabbed a loose blanket to cover her chest. Not that she understood what was happening but she hated to feel exposed…despite Sasuke being her fiancé. “What am _I_ doing?! What the hell is wrong with you, Sasuke?!”

            Feeling so flabbergasted, Sasuke launched himself off the bed and searched the floors for his clothing. They were pooled next to the bed—Sakura’s pink bra and underwear on top. “I can’t _fucking_ believe you! To stoop this fucking low—are you _fucking_ kidding me?! What did you do, drug me? Should I even ask if Itachi’s okay!” Although the question was asked, Sasuke didn’t really think about it, but now that it was said out loud, he suddenly felt a cold shudder. He should go check on Itachi!

            “ _WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!_ ”

            “You! You fucking raped me!”

            Sakura scrunched her face in disgust before throwing another incredulous look at Sasuke. “You have, haven’t you? You’ve finally lost your mind, Sasuke…You’re the one that invited me here!”

            “What the hell are you talking about?”

            “ ** _YOU_** invited me here. **_YOU_** called me into your room. And **_YOU_** initiated this whole fiasco. **_YOU_** took off my clothes,” she growled while ticking off a finger. “ ** _YOU_** kissed me! **_YOU_** were fucking me! **_YOU_** rolled us over to put **_ME_** on top!” Seeing as she only ticked off four fingers, she somehow glared even harder, pausing to find another line to say to tick off her last finger. Finally, “But _I_ raped you…do me a favor and go fuck yourself instead.”

            As she scurried to find her clothing strewn all over the room floor, Sasuke sat in his own shock. It hadn’t made any sense, yet he would know if she were lying. He had a dreadful feeling that she wasn’t. “W-What…?”

            There was a sudden cold silence in the room despite the sound of Sakura’s clothes rubbing against her body as she hastily put them on. It was as if both parties were beyond speechless. This wasn’t a normal situation, however, no matter how abnormal, that wouldn’t change the outcome, at least to Sakura, “Look, I…I don’t know what’s going on with you or how we even ended up here, but…I am so _tired_ of trying to figure it out. To figure you out.”

            “What are you trying to say,” he asked, his voice strung tightly.

            “I want a divorce, Sasuke,” she replied equally.

            “But we’re not—“

            “Not yet, no, but if we go through with it then it’s just going to end there regardless. And the truth is, Sasuke, married or no, we were more than just boyfriend/girlfriend, potential husband/wife; we were more. I think it’s only fair to use a term to match how much I don’t want to break-up with you, but to properly end things with you.”

            “So where does this leave us?”

            “…I’m not entirely sure. Right now I hate you more than I thought capable of but I know it won’t always last. I’ll eventually forgive you, I’m sure. For you, though? I think you’re going to need some time to soul search because whatever lead you to me, to here, wasn’t actually me. Heh, it makes me a little jealous to wonder who could have finally riled you up like this,” she ended with a humorless chuckle.

            After picking up her final set of belongings, Sakura sighed a large sigh and gave the room one last look-around. Somehow, despite the room always being this cold color, she was going to miss it. She was going to miss Sasuke’s (rare moments) of intimacy. And for sure, she was going to miss this long chapter of her life. Tears began pricking the back of her eyes. Sasuke still remained stunned but she paid it no mind. Once her words absorbed themselves into his thick-skinned brain, he was going to finally understand what he lost. Taking another deep breath and exhaling it, Sakura approached Sasuke with a melancholy smile and dared a kiss on his cheek.

            “Take care of yourself, Sasuke, and your brother; tell him I’m _so_ sorry,” she whispered. Then she left.

            There were mixed emotions being felt simultaneously and for Sasuke, that was a bit too overwhelming. The image of Sakura’s back walking away and closing the door behind her burned into his memories. Surprisingly for an Uchiha such as himself to admit, that image was the most terrifying thing he has seen because that was his potential future leaving his life. That was his classmate, teammate, doctor, friend, girlfriend, fiancée, wife, mother of his children…. yet there was a semblance of peace that rattled through Sasuke’s veins. The tightness in this throat that he had felt earlier was contracting, allowing more air to reach his lungs. And that’s what it finally felt like, some air was reaching his lungs.

 ~*NUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNUNU*~

            “Surely you can’t be serious, Tsunade?!”

            “I am absolutely, 100 percent serious. Based on the recent reports that I’ve received, I think this is the best course of action.”

            “Think of the catastrophic repercussions this could have on the village!”

            “What are you talking about? Criminals are treated all the time for re-assimilation, what would make this so different?”

            “The fact that…that _thing_ is not your average criminal! He’s a terrorist!”

            “Lord have mercy, he was up against the wall and thought best to defend himself—“

            “You aren’t truly justifying that boy’s actions, are you? Even I must disagree and say he is a potential, violent threat to our village,” the Third interjected.

            “I’m not justifying anything but we have to look at this from another perspective as well, from his perspective. He doesn’t know us, he has no idea what good this village is capable of, but the best impression we can give is to send half a dozen of our best men to chase him and drag him back against his will.”

            “ _Because_ he resorted to violence instead of punishment.”

            Tsunade growled at the two elder council members. “Then what course of action would you prefer? Should we let him go and go on our merry way?!”

            Koharu scowled, scrunching her wrinkling face further into itself. “The way we have him now works well. We keep him restrained—“.

            “That won’t work, you dolt!” Tsunade was secretly happy about the offended and shocked expressions of the council. “Those restraints won’t last forever and even if they did, don’t you recall how Suna handled Gaara of the Sand? We cannot continue to treat these humans—our children—like animals.”

            Being a firsthand witness to Koharu’s flustering, Homura held her hand down and showcased an angry frown at Tsunade. “One day you must come to realize that these sacrifices are part of the world we live in. That boy was meant to be our shield and weapon. No amount of philosophical equality would have changed that.”

            The Third felt cold sweat slide down the side of his neck. Those last words had him looking at Tsunade in panic, believing that she was going to be so angry that she was going to punch a hole deep enough to swallow them all. However, to his utter shock, Tsunade looked calm, eyes narrowed and angry, yes, but certainly calm. Just what was she playing at?”

            “Allow me to make this abundantly clear; you are my advisors and each opinion, thought, and strategy is held in high regard in regards to certain topics. That said, **I** am Hokage of this village. The wellbeing, health, and growth of this village resides on my shoulders. The fate of any bumbling foreigner that encounters the perimeters of this village or any home-grown idiot that’s suffering some existential crisis within the area of this village is ultimately decided by me.

            Although I value any advice you may have lined up for me, make sure it is remembered that my word is final. Any opposition to that—that isn’t handled appropriately—may result in severe punishment. Do not forget that just because you are old enough to be my great-grandparents that I won’t find enough coldness in my leaf-burning heart to ban you from my sight.”

            “How _dare_ you threaten us?!” Koharu screamed.

            “Tsunade-chan,” the Third chided. He looked both amused and disappointed but for Tsunade, she figured the disappointment was a charade to keep up pretenses.

            Regardless of how anyone felt, Tsunade tapped her desk in finality. “Word is final,” she reminded. “Feel grateful I even decided to include you in my ideas at all. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a deal I have to make.” She arose from her desk and quickly rounded her desk to walk right out. There was a smug smile on her face that only grew bigger when she heard screaming echoing in her office.


	29. Special Ticket

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,  
> OMG guys, so glad to have returned to this story! IDK why but I am so proud of this chapter. I think it’s one of my favs, hands down! However, I went HAM with the dialogue so I tried my best to add in actual descriptors and transitions and other literary stuff. Hope you guys enjoy. Anyway, good news, Tetsu is FINALLY going to talk next chapter. Actually this whole chapter was about him and our favorite GILF (haha) so for those who enjoy his company, here ya go!   
> Lastly, I wanted to announce that I will be attempting to write another fan fic but about One Piece and the pairing will be LuSan. Reason being is that current arc in OP is about Sanji and I am getting a shit-ton of LuSan vibes and next thing I know, this story keeps popping up in my head that seriously won’t go away. I have no choice but to filter it out through writing. So look forward to that soon. Anyway, enjoy the chapter, hope you like, and review to let me know!  
> Furthermore, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!  
> Eggs and Bacon,  
> CrimsonNi

_There was a smug smile on her face that only grew bigger when she heard screaming echoing in her office._

 

 

            Bravado; she had seen the action more than heard the term. She had seen enough shinobi displaying an unhealthy amount of it whenever their intelligence came into question. In fact, she displayed an overabundance of it whenever _she_ was questioned. As Hokage, she had to, it couldn’t be helped. Her people needed to see her at her strongest if not all of the time, then certainly most it, yet here she stood now and she felt no trace of her previous bravado. She tried telling herself it was because of how intimidating the door looked, because Shizune and Sakura had looked a little off—as if their interaction with _him_ had taken a lot of mental strength, because she was much older now and wasn’t sure she could keep up with all of this stress. But she knew all of those reasons, although held some merit, were just shadows in comparisons to her real fear. Yes, Tsunade was scared. She was scared of this entire plan failing, of walking in and looking into two eyes that would be saturated in hatred. Every time she thought of how this had to be one of her worst ideas to date, more of that bravado slipped through her fingers.

            “Do you need more time, Tsunade-sama?” Shizune asked quietly. She noticed Tsunade’s hesitation and worried she was finally having second thoughts.

            Tsunade heavily sighed. “No, I’m fine. Let’s get this done—it should have been done sooner.”

            “Of course, Tsunade-sama.” Shizune then applied chakra to the door as she had done before and just as before, it opened successfully.

            Swallowing a big lump, Tsunade gathered some memories of Minato and Kushina and worked hard to memorize their expressions. How would they face this obstacle? Although that wasn’t really a fair question, Tsunade reasoned, since the man inside was their son and she was sure that had they remained alive, none of this would have occurred. But if he _wasn’t_ their son, how would Minato handle this? He was always compassionate but would he even bother to empathize? Stupid question, of course he would. He was the strongest, most gifted pansy she knew and Kushina made sure to emphasize that at any opportunity she could. Perhaps Minato would have been as equally scared and doubtful, but then again, maybe Kushina would have assured him that that was okay. And it was, it was okay. She was okay. With that reasoning in mind, Tsunade marched right into the room, ready for the obstacle that was known as “Tetsu”.

            What she had expected was one of two things (or even both); either a rage-full man that wanted their blood and guts on a golden platter, or a broken man desperate to seek freedom. What she saw was neither. Tetsu did look frustrated, but no fury was sensed. He looked wary, but no fear was sensed either. Upon her arrival, Tetsu eyed her from hair root to toe nail in silence, drinking in her image as if he needed to memorize every detail for better categorization. Although that made her feel uncomfortable, Tsunade could only do the same. This was the young boy she had been searching for, for years. Aside from what she heard of reports, she had no idea who this man was that she had been looking for.

            “I thought I imagined you,” he started with a low voice. The tone sounded curious, but just as cautious as his body language.

            “Pardon?”

            “When I was having that seizure. You popped up right in front of me but I didn’t see you after that. Thought I had imagined my worst nightmare.”

            “Worst nightmare? Am I that repulsive?”

            Tetsu couldn’t resist a slight smirk. “Ain’t nothing repulsive about you, I can promise you that. You just reminded me of something— _someone_ —is all.”

            “Care to share?”

            “Only if you’ve come to bargain, _Hokage_. I’m sure my requests were passed along.”

            “They were.” Tsunade confirmed.

            “Well let’s not beat around the bush here, what’s your verdict?” Tetsu calmly asked, but Tsunade could see the stiffness in his movements, as if anticipating the worst so he could make his move.

            “I can agree to your requests… _if_ you’re willing to be negotiable on some parts.”

            Tetsu suddenly frowned and revealed a gleam of his white canines. “No deal,” he snarled. “I’m not gonna let you ‘tit-and-tat’ me!”

            “No such thing is occurring. If I’m recalling correctly, you’ve made two requests only for me to get nothing in return except the truth. In that case I think some equilibrium is needed. So in return for the fox, I want to know the truth and the entirety of it and in return for absolute immunity, I would like your cooperation.”

            “What the hell do you think I’m doing now?”

            “I meant in regards to the second half of my deal. See, I fear you won’t like my proposal, but if you give it some heavy consideration, we can both get what we want.”

            “What else could you possibly want?”

            “To give you another chance at the life you could have had. I want to invite you to come live here in the Leaf—“

            “No, abso-fucking-lutely not! _That’s_ the best you can come up with?! Have you lost your GILF-riddled mind or have your IQ-points melded into your tits?”

            _Why this little asshole!_ “What was that, you brat?!” Tsunade charged up her fist with chakra, actually managing to alarm Tetsu, but Shizune’s panic broke through the tension.

            “Tsunade-sama! Please restrain yourself!”

            Tsunade took three deep breaths before unclenching her fists. “I didn’t come here to fight. I came here with an ultimatum and you can trust that I mean to keep every word of it.”

            Tetsu nastily scoffed. “Don’t ask me to trust you, we are not on such terms.”

            “Something that could change if you actually decided to give this opportunity a second thought.”

            “I know I’m younger than you by some years, but just how underdeveloped do you think my mind is? Do you honestly take me for a village fool?”

            “After seeing what you’re capable of, then _I’d_ be the fool to think so.”

            “No, that only proves I can fight, not of how much I can think circles around you and your men. Well, allow me assure you that I’m not stupid. I know exactly how this will all play out; I’ll accept your invitation and come live here. I’ll bump into some obstacles along the way, face some awkwardness but eventually be able to integrate myself into this society. I’ll go on easy missions that increasingly grow challenging as time passes until a really big one falls into your lap. You’ll have no choice but to send me with the utmost trust and then _blah blah blah_ , fast forward to some drama, next thing I know, I’m being called the Leaf’s human weapon, your best defense after becoming your most violent offense. Or even better, a _monster_ …all for the good of this _village_ ,” he spat the last sentence.

            Tsunade was stunned by his words. The whole time, she could finally see the hatred she’d been dreading dancing under his eyes. The blues of his eyes were considerably dark, his skin—still clammy from his earlier transgressions—slightly trembling from his restrained anger, and his expressions, all negative, deepened every line on his face. However, she couldn’t lose this opportunity. She didn’t want this young man’s stubbornness to negate his potential and have him be forced punishment that clearly wasn’t working.

            “How can you be so certain that that is your future here?” She asked quietly, praying that he couldn’t sense her fear.

            “I’ve met my fellow brothers and sisters. I think the most tragic case was the one that lived in Suna; he’s my age give or take a year, but unlike me, he’s some used up shell. He can’t escape, not unless he kills half of the country but even that won’t work because if other surrounding nations find out, they’ll all try and recruit him for themselves. I know you think you’re the good people of the world but if I were to stay here, I’d eventually end up just like him.”

            Tsunade nodded. “Yes, in the case of Gaara of the Sand, I do feel as if Suna mishandled his situation but to assume we’re all the—“

            “It’s not a bad assumption to go with and the others weren’t that far off in lifestyles. _Some_ may have had it better than others, but all and all, they were all treated as weapons for the nations. If I am to live here, what would I be to you?”

            “ _What_ you’d be is a fellow ninja but more importantly it’s _who_ you’d be—Naruto Uzumaki.”

            Hearing the name had Tetsu snapping his head up. Suddenly, all traces of anger disappeared, leaving a face of curiosity and child-like innocence. “What?”

            Tsunade slowly reached into her robe and pulled out a medium-sized scroll. Without losing eye-contact, she approached him and slowly unfurled the scroll. This would have worked better had Tetsu been uncuffed, but his current position would have to suffice. After straightening the scroll, she turned the sheet to make sure Tetsu could read every word without issue. She waited. His eyes scanned the page with caution and awe, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing but couldn’t help but to try and memorize every detail.

            “What is this?” He finally asked after some time. His tone sounded calmer than his former rage.

            “I read all of the reports about you ever since you first walked into this village. One of them mentioned how you didn’t have one of _those special little tickets_ that most kids get when they’re born. You did have one by the way. Your name is Naruto Uzumaki.”

            “I….I’ve never heard of an Uzumaki clan.”

            “Unfortunately the country was wiped out in times of war. The remaining refugees migrated all throughout, including your mother.”

            “Would she happen to be a beautiful red head with really long hair?”

            “Yes, how did you know?”

            “I’ve dreamt of her for the longest time. Kurama had told me she was the former host…but never that she was mother. I just assumed.”

            “Her name was Uzumaki Kushina and her husband, your father, was Namikaze Minato.”

            Tetsu looked at Tsunade with apprehension. “And they were ninja?”

            “Yes,” Tsunade confirmed softly. “And two of the best if I can say so myself. Particularly Minato-san; he became so good that he was nicknamed ‘ _The Yellow Flash_ ’ and later became the Fourth Hokage.”

            “Heh, are you sure I’m his son?”

            “You’re a spitting image of him—it’s almost uncanny. Although you do have your mother’s eyes and heart-faced shape”

            The two trailed off into a silence that spoke more volumes than any word could produce. They maintained eye-contact that somehow ebbed away the tension and awkwardness that initially lingered around them. Granted, there was still hesitation from both sides on how to move forward, but it was less suffocating. Finally, Tetsu leaned back and exhaled a long breath.

            “This shouldn’t change anything,” he said with a melancholy tone.

            “I disagree. I think you’re made for greatness and perhaps, you are right and our society would have reacted as ignorant as the others, but those type of emotions fade in time. You’ve already managed to throw off some of our best soldiers and turn them on their heads; what kind challenge are some disgruntled villagers to you?”

            Tetsu couldn’t resist the upturn of a smirk. Lady had a point…however, he was still skeptical and truthfully, worried if he immediately said yes. He still didn’t feel safe—albeit better then when he first woke up—and far as he knew, this woman was still trying to find a way to weaponized him. He was their chosen jinjuriki who went missing for over 20 years; that meant that the village known for holding some of the strongest clans, the farthest advances in medicine and science, the most competent leaders in history, that village was left vulnerable for 20 years. Who’s to say the higher-ups wouldn’t jump at the chance to shackle him forever until Kurama was ready to move on to the next host. That unsettled Tetsu’s nerves, eliciting nausea. Tsunade noticed the change in his demeanor, the worry lines on his face, the serious frown, the sweat coating his skin…

            “I can’t,” he grunted. “Even if I wanted to, I can’t stay here.”

            “Why not?”

            Finally snapping, “Because I got too much fucking baggage for you to carry! _I’m_ not safe here and neither are your precious villagers if I stay here so you should cut the cord before shit gets even worse.”

            “Well if that’s your concern, then I hate to break it to you but Leaf Villagers take care of their own, contrary to popular belief. This birth certificate proves you’re one of ours so we’ll make it our best interest to take your lack of safety into account.”

            Once again the rage that Tsunade thought had petered out had returned full force. “I’m not _Naruto_! That kid died the moment he left the village. I’m just some orphan you feel guilty over who happens to share the same curse.”

            Impossibly, Tsunade’s expression softened even further, boarding on misery. “No, you’re not _just_ some orphan, you never were. Even now, I can only see you as Naruto, as my ‘son’ and a member of this village—“

            “ _What?!_ But you said those other people were my par—“

            “They are, biologically, they are. However,” and for the second time, Tsunade reached into her robe and pulled out another tied up scroll. This time, she hastily pulled the knot loose and revealed the contents to Tetsu, who the whole while, looked bewildered. “On the day of your parents’ death, your mother wrote a letter addressed to me and appointed me as your caretaker. We were best friends; I would have done it without the letter regardless, but when it was discovered that you were gone, I could only dedicate the rest of my career and resources into finding you. I vowed that on the day that I did, I’d take you in as my son.”

            After a beat, Tetsu regained his composure, still keeping his eyes on the letter. “Aren’t we a little too old now to be playing house? I’m your son now? Just like that?”

            “It would be _just like that_ if you weren’t acting like such a stubborn brat.”

            “And your shinobi? What makes you think they’ll just suddenly change their minds and fight to protect me? I still fought and killed some of your men, which I don’t think they feel too kindly about.”

            “If you think you’re the first one to cause some internal blood shed then you haven’t researched our history well enough. Regardless, under my orders, they do as they are told and if I say you are top priority, then you are top priority.”

            “Nepotism at its finest,” Tetsu scoffed. “Still, I don’t think forcing your people to acknowledge me is a good way to go about this.”

            Tsunade huffed in frustration; they were talking in circles at this point! “There is no forcing! I told you, you’ve managed to turn a lot of people on their heads and a couple of them, some of the best minds that are extremely difficult to deter, have actually gone as far as to side with you, sympathize with you.

            Listen, I’m not asking you to trust me 100 percent right this second, just that you keep an open mind. You say that we’re all endanger if you remain here, well let us worry about that and let’s share all the other burdens too. You don’t—and shouldn’t—have to face the world’s biases alone, at least not anymore.”

            “You shouldn’t say such things liberally, you know. I’m pretty fucked up. I’m not ‘son’ or Leaf material. To spend so much faith and kindness on a person like me is a waste of time.”

            “You really are a brat, huh? Whoever heard of a human being born for the purpose of being alone? No one, that’s who, and don’t spout anymore of some similar bullshit because if you really believed what you’ve just told me, you wouldn’t be running around sleeping with people. Take it from someone who’s known as one of the best goddamn doctors on this planet and who also happens to know a little bit on how the brain works. No one, and I mean NO ONE who’s felt warmth goes around claiming satisfaction of living in frost.”

            And surprisingly, Tetsu blushed because _fuck_ that had hit close to home. No one had ever verbalized those insecurities of his before. Sure, Orochimaru had made a good deduction on his character, about his desperation and sexual frustration, but this was a different analysis. Suddenly, Tetsu was reminded of the days he’d been spoiled by _Father_ and the love the two shared. When the string between the two had been cut, Tetsu was desperate to rekindle it through any means possible only to find himself never satisfied. He was okay with that though, at least at first, because he told himself that what he needed was not a ‘true-love’ or anything so romantic, but just a body. A heated body that could fill the void that he’d been feeling for a long while now. Not that he’d ever admit it out loud, but nothing worked. He’d feel alive in the moment, but after, he’d revert back to his facetiousness and try to trick someone else into playing his game. Eventually, he was going to tire himself out and find another vice to tempt the devil with. That wasn’t a future he wanted for himself, but what did he want then?

            Did he want to _stay_ here? Belong to a village and actually be backed up despite his fucked up persona? Did he want to build a life _here_? As much as he wanted to scream _NO_ (out loud and in his head), scarily enough, he imagined what it would be like and could see the image clearly. He could see himself eating a delicious bowl of that ramen dish while sitting across a smug Mr. Beautiful, or sitting with the GILF and chit-chatting about the good ol’ days and his parents…it looked nice. Simple and uncomplicated by his hyperbolized drama. Okay, okay, maybe he didn’t want to be alone, fuck, she was right. Maybe this could work and he could get out of his horrible niche he’s found himself stuck in if he…. _dear God_ …cooperated without actually running away. It could work. It could happen. _Fuck_.

            “Okay,” he said airily, hoping to GOD the trepidation he felt wasn’t heard.

            “Okay?”

            “Okay.”

            “Okay,” Tsunade said with a relieved smile forming right after.


	30. Sister Mary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something about Mary....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,  
> Merry belated Christams/Holidays and Happy New Years’ folks! Wow, it has been a minute, huh? Well, WHERE WERE YOU CRIMSONNI?! Totally valid question, so I’ve been writing a few chapters for Fire and Hunger, my One Piece fic and doing a ton, and I mean literally a ton, of fanfic/yaoi reading. As proud as I am for the current fans/readers of my fics, I tend to feel at times that my writing is subpar (not just grammatically) but regarding techniques and vocab usage so I like to read what and how other fellow writers get it done to regain inspiration.  
> Anyway, this chapter is the one many (if not ALL) have been waiting for!!!! Please enjoy and let me know what you think!  
> Furthermore, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!  
> Eggs and Bacon,  
> CrimsonNi

_“Okay,” Tsunade said with a relieved smile forming right after._

 

Pure giddiness coursed through her veins once he confirmed his cooperation. Somehow she managed to get through to him, convinced him to remain open-minded about his reintegration into society. She almost had to mock her previous fear and anxiety before approaching the door. However, this wasn’t to suggest that everything was to be easy. Tetsu surely agreed to her conditions but he could still give her a run for her money. That was why she felt it was better to call for a favor for her next step as opposed to doing it herself; she wanted to keep alert at all times in the case that Tetsu did think of any bright ideas.

“So…what are we waiting for?” Tetsu inquired.

“For an old friend to drop by. I believe you’ve met him already. I’m going to need his help in order to give you access to the fox again.”

Although it was subtly, Tsunade did see the blue of Tetsu’s eyes shifting into a brighter shade, giving her the impression that he was excited. But then his expression changed to that of curiosity, a question clearly waiting on his lips. “Who’s the guy?”

“Orochimaru—but I don’t think you’ll know who that is since you did fight several shinobi when they tried to capture you.” Tsunade was expecting that to be the end of that but after mentioning his name, she noticed how quickly Tetsu paled. “Are you alright?”

“Y-Yeah! He’s the pale one, right? The one with the snakes?”

“…He is. Are you…afraid of snakes? Because I can assure you that no summonings for them will be made.”

The paleness was replaced with a sudden blast of color. “Afraid wouldn’t be the word.”

With narrowed eyes, Tsunade demanded, “What are you hiding?”

“Nothing! Already you’re tryna act like my mom?!”

“It has nothing to do with being a mom or not—call it woman’s intuition.”

“According to science that’s actually referred to as hormones and gas.”

“You shitty brat!” She shouted, turning red in the face. Shizune was ready to try and hold her back but deep down, she knew she wouldn’t fair long if Tsunade was serious. Thankfully, however, a familiar signature of chakra blipped by.

“Orochimaru-sama—thank god!”

“Tsunade, what are you doing?”

“I was about to teach this annoying brat a lesson in respect!”

“Is that why I’m here? To assist you in murder?”

Tetsu scoffed. “Please, I know I’m weak but I’m not killable weak. Let’s just get this over with.”

“Hello again, Tetsu—was it?”

 _Bastard!_ It wasn’t smugness, but there was an aura of challenge emanating from Orochimaru. Yet, Tetsu had to wonder just what kind of challenge was he issuing? Did he think Tetsu was going to spill _all_ of that night’s details? _What are you asking of me?_ Orochimaru seemed to have read Tetsu’s tense body language perfectly because he then smirked and approached the bed with no hesitation.

“It’s come to my understanding that you’re ready to talk.”

“Being forced is more like it.”

“Were you not given the option to say no?”

“Mr. Beautiful told me in that freaky jutsu of his that I’d be tortured if I didn’t talk and I hate to admit it but it freaked me out enough to heed his advice.”

“Should I be offended that _I’m_ not Mr. Beautiful?”

It was Tetsu’s turn to smirk. “Based off of our last _talk_ , I’d say maybe Mr. Dominant would fit you better.”

The two then stared at each other with wide grins adorning their faces, leaving Tsunade feeling like the odd woman out. She felt as if she had no choice but to loudly clear her throat to guide them back to reality.

“I have no idea what either of you are secretly conversing about but we do have an agenda to follow, yes….?”

“Yes, yes, Tsunade, don’t worry,” Orochimaru replied casually. Seeing as Tetsu was no longer felt nervous around him—not to say he was suddenly trusting of him—Orochimaru sat at the end of the bed and looked Tetsu right in the eyes as he palmed his navel. It didn’t feel as hot as last time, yet still, Tetsu’s skin was a burn so alluring that it nearly made Orochimaru’s mouth water. He remembered the taste of the skin, how the nerves under it quivered and wrinkled, how pliable it was under his instruction. “This will be uncomfortable for a moment,” he said hoarsely.

Tetsu, remained silent, but similarly to their time in the room, his entire body quivered after hearing his tone. It wasn’t a conscience reaction which secretly elated Orochimaru greatly. Then, all five fingers pierced into Tetsu’s flesh but despite the clear pain, no blood was drawn. Tetsu could feel foreign chakra pooling at the base of his stomach, twirling with a quiet violence that left him a little dizzy and nauseous. But just as quick as the moment began, it ended with the feeling of the fingers disjointing themselves and created an awkward pulling sensation. Tsunade quickly took over and used whatever fancy jutsu she needed to use to unblock all of the blocked and damaged chakra channels. Silence……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

**_ ROAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! _ **

“Ah! Son of a bitch!!” Tetsu screamed, screwing his eyes shut. Although it felt great to finally feel complete again, having Kurama scream at full volume, flaring his chakra throughout his body—unevenly since he’s pissed—was only causing a migraine. Tetsu could hear Kurama slamming his head, repeatedly, against the bars of the cage, spewing words of pure hatred. However, the anger didn’t sound directed at what Tetsu had been expecting but at _him_!

_“What is your problem?!”_

**_“You’ve allowed yourself to be quite stupid_ **

**_In my absence!_ **

**_Broken, weak, and ruined_ **

**_All for lust so imbalanced!”_ **

_“You’re seriously blaming me?! You furred-ass, nine-tailed fuck! This is all your fault! We almost escaped but you fucked up the ENTIRE plan!”_

**_“If I make a decision_ **

**_It is typically the correct one._ **

**_Your actions prolonged progress and created division_ **

**_Forcing easy work to be undone.”_**  

 _“You didn’t tell me anything! You left me all alone and they tortured me! The beautiful one showed me a genjutsu of HER!”_ Tetsu felt as if he couldn’t breathe. Silence reigned again, quelling the throbbing torture that plagued his mind and body.

**_“It was not my intention to blind you.”_ **

_“Then help me, please,”_ he begged. He revealed memories of what had happened during Kurama’s absence, including the ultimatum given to him by Tsunade. _“She wants me to stay.”_

**_“I do not think she comprehends the trouble you bring_ **

**_With your past and name of Tetsu._ **

**_But perhaps allowing help will birth the offspring_ **

**_Naruto anew.”_ **

When Tetsu came too, he saw the same two faces peering down at him with expressions of concern. Well, more from Tsunade—Orochimaru looked more intrigued but something of worry was mixed in there. “How long was I out?” He grunted quietly, trying to assuage his throat.

“About an hour. Are you alright?” Tsunade asked.

Flexing his fingers and toes, subtly moving around the joints of his shoulders, elbows, and knees, Tetsu realized that he was physically at 100 percent. “In peak condition.” He looked up and saw Orochimaru still sitting at the end of the bed, as if he hadn’t moved the entire time, but he now looked wary. _“You think I’m gonna make a run for it?”_ The smirk turned devilish. It was exciting to have the upper hand again, to embed a little string of caution in their eyes….which was ruined when a Kurama-like growl erupted from his stomach. But dear god was he hungry!

The wariness and fear all flew out the window and amusement overrode their expressions. “No more liquid diet for you then,” Tsunade joked. “I guess it’s fair to let you eat before we get into more serious things.”

“Do I get a choice?” Tetsu growled, embarrassed by his body’s reaction at a most inopportune time.

“Sure, anything in particular?”

But his embarrassment could no longer remain when asked such a question because the only thing he could think to reply was that delicious dish, “RAMEN!”

All parties were surprised by the outburst and even more by the shine in his eyes as he said it.

“I can pick it up, Lady Tsunade. Would you like beef or pork ramen, Tetsu-san?” Shizune had been quiet the entire time in the corner but was now fore-front and center as she smiled at him. She too no longer seemed afraid of him.

“Pork, Ma’am, and if you don’t mind, some of that…naruto stuff.”

“Was that all it took to get you to be polite? Food?” Orochimaru had spoken up as Shizune ran off to pick up the food.

“Consider me spoiled; I’m just so used to having _meat_ in my mouth that it almost feels like withdrawal when I don’t get any for a while.”

Tsunade looked like a flushing maiden but Orochimaru loved the open talk. He started grinning again as he watched Tetsu relax into his bed. “Perhaps,” he began, having to pause to clear his throat that was clogged from the surging arousal. “If you behave, you may be allowed to get even more meat. In your mouth.”

“Orochimaru, can I see you for a moment? Tetsu, you’re fine by yourself for a minute, I hope?”

“I won’t pull any tricks,” he promised.

There was great haste and aggression as Tsunade grabbed onto Orochimaru to lead him into the other room. Thankfully, Orochimaru knew not to resist (since he was sure one opposite tug and he’d lose an arm) but he still didn’t like being handled like a ragdoll. “You’re upset,” he observed.

“You had sex with that boy!”

“No, I had sex with that _man_. He is at least 20 years of age.”

“Oh my God! That’s disgusting, you’re almost 60 for God sakes!”

“That’s politics, Tsunade, we both consented and as you can tell, it was pleasurable for both parties.”

“You slept with him knowing who he was?!”

“No, Jiraiya and I bumped into him at Shikashima and it was disclosed what his previous profession was. So, that no illegal crimes were committed, I promised no payment and simply offered him a good time.”

“Orochimaru!” Tsunade shouted, holding her face in her hands. “T-That’s Minato’s son in there! Kushina’s son!”

“Who is of legal age,” he reiterated. “Listen, if you want to remain here and be traumatized and upset, then continue to do so if that helps anything, but you’ve finally managed to get his trust and cooperation so I suggest that you don’t blow it by judging him.”

“It’s your judgement I’m judging. How can you…someone so _young_?”

“Need I remind you about Jiraiya and his big mouth? You know very well how much he’s told me—in detail—of your sexual exploits. What would the world think if they knew the naughty things you were capable of, _Lady Hokage_?” 

Tsunade slapped his arm hard. “That’s not the same, you ass! At least Jiraiya and I are of the same age.”

“I’m unsure why you are so hung up about our age difference because fact of the matter is Tetsu isn’t a child and I don’t believe he ever was. Whatever happened to him happened to him at a young age.”

“Are you going to sleep with him again?” Tsunade demanded, uncaring of Orochimaru’s last statement.

After rolling his eyes, he huffed and reached for the door handle next to him. “Honestly, if he’s offering, I’m not objecting. Now I think we can end this conversation; it isn’t going anywhere interesting and you’ve exhausted all valid counter-arguments.”

Before she could reply, Orochimaru opened the door and immediately turned nervous when he didn’t see Tetsu sitting or laying on the bed. He rushed inside, ready to unleash a horde of snakes to turn the building upside down to find him but s childish chuckle caught his attention. Turning, he saw Tetsu sitting in the corner in a large chair, wearing a foreign ensemble with his legs crossed and arms resting at his sides. He was grinning again, amused that he managed to ‘scare’ Orochimaru with his harmless prank.

“I thought you said you wouldn’t pull any tricks.”

“I lied.”

“And the outfit?”

“An old jutsu I learned in my travels. You like?” He asked, already knowing what the answer was. It was a dark blue yukata ordained with white flecks that were either snowflakes or sparkles, and if Orochimaru looked hard enough, he was certain there was an animal printed on the fabric as well, colored just a very slight shade lighter than the yukata, clearly hiding. _It’s a snake_. The yukata was very loose around his shoulders and he wasn’t even attempting to cover his tanned and toned legs. “I know you were both trying to be quiet but I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation.”

“She’s annoyed but her knowing doesn’t change anything. She’s willing to go to the ends of the earth to help you.”

Tetsu’s grin softened. “Then I hope she doesn’t mind when all is said and done that I’ll be offering some more of my services. Free of charge, of course.”

Tsunade, who was behind Orochimaru, scoffed in disbelief. They were talking as if she weren’t in the room!

“No, she won’t, even after I say that I’ll be accepting.”

“Orochimaru!!”

The insanity of the situation because so amusing for Tetsu that he couldn’t help but laugh. It was a hearty laugh that seemed contagious enough to make Orochimaru want to chuckle and even Tsunade nervously giggle, despite her not liking the situation at all. But thankfully, Shizune came with the food—four bowls worth—and placed it by Tetsu. His stomach growled again, as if remembering that it had been craving for solid food in the first place.

“Man, this smells amazing!”

“Hope that’s enough.”

“Thank you, it will be.” Even though Tetsu was confident when thinking that he could certainly devour more. He was just being polite.

“Good, now let’s get started,” Tsunade rushed breathlessly. Her anxiousness was pouring out of her skin.

Tetsu took some bites of the fishcakes before looking seriously at Tsunade. “Right, well, before I can go into full story mode, for priority sakes, I should start with the one that has the most consequences. I told you before that I couldn’t stay here even if I wanted to, remember?” He looked to Tsunade and she nodded in return. He took a deep breath before continuing to speak, actually feeling nervous that he’d be admitting things about himself. “There’s someone after me—well that’s not right, it’s more like a group of people but one in particular with a heavy interest. I don’t know how he does it but no matter how well I hide, he always finds me by sending some ‘clients’.”

“By ‘clients’, do you mean that you sleep with them?”

“Not all of them, but yeah, I’ve slept with a good number that he’s sent.”

That was difficult for Tsunade to comprehend. “But if you’re trying to run away from him then why—“

“Because….it’s easier than resisting. Kabuto’s a science man, always is wanting samples of hair or skin or blood or…semen. At first, I didn’t know these men worked for him, I just thought they were creeps that couldn’t take ‘No’ for an answer, but I realized there was a pattern and eventually I was told the truth. Kabuto was keeping tabs on me and if I resisted then…he’d use that scientific brain of his to get what he wanted anyways. I try not to stay in one place for too long but if I happen to get found anyway then I might as well get it over and done with.”

“Was that what that mix-up with Konohamaru was about?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t the first time the clients came in the form of paid shinobi. Although it was the first time I thought Kabuto sent someone so young; I should have realized. But anyways, my point is that I’ve been here for a long time now and I’m sure he knows exactly where I am and there’s no doubt he’s going to be sending trouble here to try and get me out.”

“Hey, listen to me, okay? I don’t care if it’s the devil himself knocking at our gates; you’re not being dragged here by anyone. Now, how did you meet this Kabuto? Was he a former client?”

“Not exactly. It’s confusing so I have to start from the beginning; from what I was told when I was a kid, I was sold to the church and given to _Sister Mary_. She was the head of the church and at first, the one responsible for my being,” he said with disdain.

“Sorry to interrupt, but would you happen to remember where the church was located?”

“Heh, not surprised you couldn’t find it. Not that I’m great at geography but it’s at least 200 miles south from here, close to the mountains and covered in layers of genjutsu. Even if your shinobi found it, Sister Mary made sure to hide me in another realm.”

“What?!” Tsunade and Shizune shouted. Even Orochimaru looked surprised.

“I don’t know, she always blindfolded me and trapped me with some weird jutsu of hers, then sent me off to this realm that smelled weird and was super noisy. All I can say was that I always landed on grass and I usually heard a waterfall nearby. But as weird as that all sounds, everything was great for me in the beginning. All the staff liked me and I got to participate the most during ‘church days’.”

“What’s church day?”

“Ah, sorry, I forgot to mention that this wasn’t a legitimate church but what’s known as an ‘Authoritative Ring’; it’s when criminals pose as institutions and authority figures—like schools or churches—to get away with their illegal activities. This ring was known for selling children off to traffickers and the like but before a child can be deemed ‘sellable’ they must be trained in one of two areas—labor or sex. So ‘church day’ was known around the ring as _upkeep_ , like another way to train the kids and staff to keep up the charade that they worked in a church. A lot of times we’d have mass just to memorize versus of the books and keep up tradition.

When it wasn’t ‘church day’, the kids would be split into their respective groups and trained for their specialty. Those that were marketed to be sold off would be seen by visitors to be looked at.”

Tsunade knew more than most the cruelty of the world but never in her wildest or darkest imaginations could she have envisioned this a reality. She had no idea if she wanted to punch a sinkhole the size of Suna, throw-up, or find this _Sister_ and murder her. Tsunade was shaken and the adults beside her were not far off. For as sadistic as she knew Orochimaru could be, he was tame in comparison to this underground world. At least he was human in consciousness and spirit.

“Is-Is that how you met Kabuto?” She whispered, so insecure about her ability to speak any louder.

However, Tetsu was calm throughout the whole ordeal. He didn’t look disturbed by his own words and he continued to eat through his bowls in a placid manner, as if he were just speaking about an old memory.

“Yes, I met him when I was around ten maybe. I was already well trained by that point—if you hadn’t guessed, I was part of the sex division—but never sold off to any buyers. Sister Mary and Father Zarius would always say I wasn’t for sale so I was confused why I was suddenly being offered to be looked at. They sent me to another room where Kabuto was sitting with a woman. She had on a long robe with a hood and didn’t say much, but Kabuto was energetic; he examined me like a doctor and measured me a lot, looked at every inch of me. Then he told me to show him what I had been trained for. It was the only time he slept with me and the woman just watched but when we were done, she got up with some tube and collected my semen.”

“What did she do with it?”

“Closed it and put it in her pocket. Then they left me there.”

“Did they ever return?”

“Yeah but not together. Kabuto would visit every few months to collect more samples but again, he never touched me after the first time. The woman only visited twice; once was to jab me like that weirdo in the woods and then the second time was to tell me to leave the church, but I hadn’t understood why she said it at the time.”

“Wait, back up a moment, what do you mean jab you? What weirdo?”

“He might be referring to Neji,” Orochimaru muttered. “This woman, she used the same technique to block your chakra channels?”

“It sure as hell felt like it, although hers maybe wasn’t as harsh? I don’t know how to describe it but she gave me a lot of creepy vibes but also like she didn’t want to hurt me?”

“And she never showed her face?” Tsunade jumped back in.

“Not completely, no, just her hair and eyes after the initial visit. She had really long dark hair and scary-ass eyes—no pupils, just like the weirdo.”

All set of eyes, with the exception of Tetsu, widened in awe of the realization. Instead, Tetsu looked curious, wondering what they had connected together. “Hinata,” Tsunade breathed. “Holy shit, she’s alive.”


	31. Gone Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi is seriously the best no matter what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,  
> Sorry it’s been a while. Just finished a semester for school (A and a B)—which raised my spirits up big time. But it wasn’t school or the usual catching up on yaoi that side-tracked me. Long story short, I moved again from a house to an apartment (and not entirely happy about it) because of multiple reasons. Everything is alright, but now I have to share a room w/my sister and currently, everything just feels so condensed so that’s taken a bit of a toll. Work has also been annoying and with recent arguments I’ve been in, essentially I fell into a depression. I’m not completely out of it yet but I am going to see someone on Wed and I’ll figure it out from there. Obviously my writing spirit dwindled but today, I slept in and took care of my furry babies all day and that helped motivate me to do some writing. Sorry if it’s a short chapter but hope you enjoy. Lemme know! Thanks guys.  
> Anyway, this chapter is the one many (if not ALL) have been waiting for!!!! Please enjoy and let me know what you think!  
> Furthermore, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!  
> Eggs and Bacon,  
> CrimsonNi

_“Hinata,” Tsunade breathed. “Holy shit, she’s alive.”_

 

            Lord knew how long he had slept but for what he was certain of, was that it was the best goddamn sleep he had ever had. He felt well rested and calm, almost as if he just spent the last couple hours sunbathing by the nearby lake—and that’s not even something he likes to do. The more awake he became, the more memories came flooding into his present mind. The dream— _nightmare_ —and Sakura, and their engagement...it was called off. Obviously, it was a terrible weight on his shoulders and although he was beyond relieved to feel it gone, guilt was beginning to take its place. Some had been for her because as incompatible as they had been, Sakura was still a part of his life, but the rest had been for Itachi; he had been the one looking forward to the wedding the most. _Shit_.

            Not caring that he has been dressed in only his boxers, Sasuke raced out of his room and down the stairs to look for Itachi. _Did he eat? Did he need help in the bathroom?_ He asked himself these questions rapidly, paranoid like a parent having realized they forgotten their child somewhere.

            “Itachi!”

            “Sasuke?” He quickly replied. He sounded calm, quiet, but calm.

            Sasuke flew into the living room and saw that Itachi was where he would frequently be—laying across the couch with a thick book in his lap. Hearing that his name was called, he was no longer reading his book, however, and instead was staring up with a raised eyebrow. Seeing the alarm on Sasuke’s face only made Itachi mirror him, believing that Sasuke found spiders in his bed—again.

            “If you carry me up there, they’ll be dead quickly. You’ll just need to buy new sheets.”

            “What the hell are you talking about?”

            “There aren’t spiders in your bed?”

            Sasuke’s face darkened considerably and due to his shirtlessness, his goosebumps were clearly visible. “We do not speak of that.”

            “Then why are you naked?”

            “I-I’m not _naked_! I have some clothing!”

            “Father would label this naked.”

            The nerves in his eyebrows twitched violently. “Seriously, Itachi? I thought you needed help and you have the time to joke?!”

            “Why did you think I needed help?”

            “Because I was passed out for who knows how long! What if—“

            “Sasuke, thank you for worrying but as I’ve said many times before, if I really was in peril, I’d be sure to scream for your help in any way possible. Besides, you were only asleep for half a day which isn’t any amount of time I haven’t been alone before.”

            “Don’t say that,” Sasuke groaned. “That makes it seem like I frequently neglect you.”

            “You do realize, _I’m_ the older brother, right? There is no such thing as a baby brother neglecting the older one.”

            “Right, says you who whined when I didn’t talk to you for two days.”

            “That was because your cold shoulder was very unjustified and you were acting like a child, but enough of that, let’s go back to why you’re naked.”

            Another blush attacked Sasuke’s pale features. Maturity usually would remind Sasuke that Itachi was just trying to get a rise out of him—the job of any older brother—but being the little brother has unfortunately—and naturally—left Sasuke at a disadvantage; he felt for the trick and shouted again that he was not naked. It annoyed him more when Itachi had the nerve to smirk. When the conversation resumed in going nowhere, Itachi reminded him of the original question.

            “I’m sure you already know the answer,” he grumbled.

            “I didn’t hear the conversation so I’m still out of the loop.”

            “Has it ever occurred to you that this isn’t a matter that requires you to be in the loop?”

            “As your wedding planner, I kind of need to be in the loop.”

            “Former wedding planner.”

            “Ah.”

            “She broke off the engagement.”

            “Hm.”

            “And…I’m thinking that it doesn’t suck as much as I assumed it would.”

            “Because?”

            “I don’t know—“

            “Liar. You _do_ know or you wouldn’t have arrived to that conclusion.”

            Sasuke frowned, feeling a little offended. “I seriously don’t know.”

            “Nothing comes to mind?”

            He opened his mouth to naturally decline the question but for just a millisecond, his mind produced a lightning-quick image that halted his speech. Yes, something does come to mind. Something that ironically turned his blood cold despite the warm feeling it incited earlier. Something tanned and sunshine blonde. “…No.”

            Itachi wasn’t convinced by such a weak retort but he hadn’t a chance to reply when hard knocks sounded at the door. Both Uchihas remained still for a moment, feeling out (just in case) if the person at the door was friend or foe. Luckily, it was a familiar friend. Sasuke, not in the mood to see anyone since his banishment from the present case, reached for the front door with an irritated scowl.

            “What do you want, Kakashi?”

            “Sorry to bother you both in your home, but I need to speak with your brother.”

            Despite the wariness itching under his skin, suddenly, he moved aside and lead Kakashi to the living room. “He needs to talk with you.”

            “Both of you, actually.”

            “Well, good to see you, Kakashi-san. To what do we owe the pleasure?”

            “I have been ordered to escort the both of you to the Hokage office immediately.”

            “What?” Sasuke asked. The scowl turned deeper and he tensed with a lot more caution. Not that he’d attack Kakashi or anything, but he was naturally protective of his brother. “What for?”

            “I’m not at liberty to say at this time but I do urge for you both to come with me as soon as possible.”

            “Is this related to the nine-tails in any way?” Itachi questioned.

            Kakashi wasn’t surprised that Itachi knew of the jinchuuriki and since new information brought him here anyway, there was no harm in continuing the conversation. “Yes, so if we can hurry back…”

            “Of course, Sasuke, can you give me a hand, please?”

            Although Sasuke’s lips were set in a firm line and he was frowning with a lot of depth, he nodded and went to assist his brother. Still, he was never one comfortable with this kind of thing especially with someone—a familiar someone no less—watching. He waited until Itachi wrapped one arm around the back of his neck while the other one latched across his front to latch onto his opposite shoulder. It was this next step that always bothered Sasuke and he silently hoped Kakashi had enough decency to look away; Itachi’s legs were thinner than the average person—a lot thinner—since they atrophied from disuse. And although he was wearing long pants, just from seeing his ankles alone, seeing the absolute paleness, indicated that unlike the rest of him, his legs saw little to now sunlight/light. As quickly as he could, Sasuke slipped one of his own arms under Itachi’s knees and huffed out a quiet grunt before lifting him up off the couch. Surprisingly, Itachi weighed like a grown man his age should and were it not for the fact that Sasuke was an active shinobi, he’d be in trouble.

            “Kakashi-san, if you wouldn’t mind grabbing that wheelchair right there.” Itachi pointed right next to the couch where it had been folded. Kakashi wasted no time in lending a hand.

            “I could have gotten it,” Sasuke growled.

            “Yes, well, it looks like you’re having trouble enough as it is.”

            “No trouble, just surprised by how _gluttonous_ you’ve gotten.”

            “Are you insinuating that I’ve gained weight?”

            “No, that’s something you’d insinuate; I’m straight up calling you fat.”

            “Careful, Little Brother, this disabled “fat” man can still battle.”

            Kakashi chuckled throughout the whole ordeal. “Ah, brotherly love.”

            Both Uchihas just stared before Kakashi got the message and hurried to teleport them and himself to the office.

 

**Hokage’s Office**

            Within a matter of seconds, all three men were within Tsunade’s office where she had been currently pacing back and forth. She looked frazzled upon their arrival, but even more so—nervous—when she looked at them. “About time,” she tried saying sternly.

            “Hokage-sama,” both Kakashi and Sasuke greeted, albeit, Sasuke said it a lot softer, still feeling awkward from their last encounter.

            “Lady Tsunade, how—,” Itachi began but Tsunade was in too much of mess to let him continue.

            “Sorry, Itachi, but we don’t have time for formalities.”

            “Of course, what can I help with?”

            “Well, it’s not so much “help” with, but I thought you should know. As I’m certain you’ve already guessed, we have captured the nine-tailed jinchuuriki a couple weeks ago and just recently, we have come across some interesting information. I cannot go into full detail of what he disclosed to me, but…he told me that a woman, described very similarly to that of a Hyuuga, was spotted several years ago.”

            Tsunade was once told a joke, in her (much) younger years about the Uchihas that mentioned how little they expressed themselves—emotionally. It was said that if you could ever surprise an Uchiha and live to tell the tale, you’d find good fortune. For years, the Uchiha clan had to endure people trying to surprise them or play practical jokes to prove the tale real but since not that many people got to live, the tradition eventually died out. And as prejudice as the joke was, Tsunade couldn’t help but admit that a part of her wanted to participate and give it a try. It wasn’t because _she_ was a racist but she needed as much fortune as she could get, especially since she loved to gamble.

            Now, ironically, here was Uchiha Itachi and his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke, with their mouths wide open and their eyes blown wide. She wasn’t sure if this was a good surprise of a bad one but either way, she silently prayed for good fortune.

            “W-What…does this mean?” Tsunade’s heart nearly broke upon hearing the odd inflection in his tone.

            “We have yet to confirm his story, but we are investigating it. I’m afraid there’s more, however.”

            “Go on, _please_.”

            “Have you ever heard of the group called Akatsuki?”

            “No I have not.”—“I have.” The two brothers said simultaneously. Sasuke had heard of the group from rumors of the other nations, but he never encountered anyone that met them in battle.

            “Well in short terms, they originally were a group of mercenaries that assisted in war, helping out only those who paid the most. A few years ago, they group dynamic changed and now, far as I understand,  they are a group of specialized assassins who’s main objective is to hunt down the jinchuuriki.”

            “What does any of this have to do with Hinata-nee—Hinata?” Sasuke interjected, almost blushing from the slip-up.

            “Again, we haven’t confirmed, but according to Tetsu, he saw Hinata in Akatsuki uniform along with a partner.”

            “He is certain of this?” Itachi demanded despite the softness of his tone. He was still in disbelief and shaken.

            “He vowed to have seen her a total of three times before running away from his previous home. He described her and her techniques pretty well, even going as far as comparing her to Neji.”

            Itachi still looked shocked but slowly, he was composing himself and entering into his own bubble of thoughts. A somewhat desperate look crossed his features. “May I speak with this Tetsu-san? I’d like to hear more of what he has to say.”

            “Itachi, I know how important this is for you but it wouldn’t be wise let alone against protocol.”

            “Tsunade-sama, pl—“

            “I’m sorry, Itachi, but I cannot agree to a meeting.”

            Itachi made to argue more but Sasuke jumped ahead of him. “What if it were supervised?”

            Sasuke was met with bemusement. “By who? You? Please do not think that I’ve forgotten about you, Sasuke. I’m still quite upset with you.”

            “Understandable.”

            “Have you thought over about your actions? _Why_ you committed them?”

            “It’s…a work in progress. Tsunade-sama,” Sasuke said, stepping away from Itachi so he could approach her. He was at a sociable distance although close enough to speak quietly.

            “Whatever you’re about to tell me, the answer is still the same.”

            “Please. Don’t blame Itachi for what I did. This is the first piece of news in _years_ that he’s heard about his wife. I don’t have to be in the room or anywhere near here, but Itachi should have a chance to speak with…him.”

            “With Tetsu, the guy you thought should never be forgiven.”

            “Yes.” Sasuke agreed grimly.

            Part of Tsunade was smug in making Sasuke look guilty, but the moment was short lived when she remembered that she had to make a decision. A disgruntled groan came out from her upon seeing Itachi’s desperation one last time. “Fine, I will bring Tetsu here where the entire conversation will be supervised and sealed. I don’t want any tricks here; I bring him and an adult conversation will be held AND just as a bonus, seals will be placed around the room to ensure no sneaky jutsus will be used.”

            “All reasonable.

            “Oh, almost forgot, all of this can only happen under the contingency that when I bring Tetsu here, you will see to it that you apologize for your prior behavior.”

            “What?!”

            “That or no deal.”

            Anger bubbled dangerously under Sasuke’s skin; he felt it under his cheeks and behind his eyes like burning fuel. He had to apologize? _He had to apologize?!_ It was unclear if the Sharigan was activated (since Tsunade remained still with her arms crossed and her face blank) but based off of Itachi giving Sasuke a clear warning through the solidifying tension in the room, it was clear that some calming down was warranted.

            “He’ll see to it, Tsunade-sama,” Itachi said with finality. His tone was not only low but sharp.

            Sasuke glared at his brother (not that it did any good) but relented and huffed, as if that was the only acceptable response he’d give.

            “Great. You all remain here and I’ll bring Tetsu here. Kakashi and Shizune, you’ll see to the sealing of this room, yeah? Alright, behave children,” she said with a casual wave and left out the door with haste. Surprisingly for most people in the room, they noticed how she almost looked excited to go and fetch him. The fact that she didn’t send someone else, something that she’d normally do, also spoke some volumes.

            “I hope this is worth it, Itachi.” 

            No response was given expect the little smile of anticipation.


	32. SENBEI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itachi and Tetsu have a little tiff and make-up session

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,
> 
> I've returned! Wow, so happy to have finished this chapter especially after the month I've had. Been going through some emotional garbage, am leaving my job for another one in less than 3 weeks, and I'm worried I effed-up by GPA due to missing a workshop. But when I finally sat down and focused, this chapter came pouring out and it was fun. I really like this Itachi and Tetsu's reaction to him haha so hope you enjoy it too. For those who do not know, I've made a FB page for readers to post discussions, fan-pics, your own excerpts, etc and it doesn't just have to be on this fic but my others as well. There will also be updates posted on when I'm working on my own original work so check it out when you get the chance. It's listed under CrimsonNI, EggsandBaconfics. Read, have fun, and leave a review!
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is the one many (if not ALL) have been waiting for! Please enjoy and let me know what you think!
> 
> Furthermore, if you've liked this story so far, maybe you'll like my other ones on my page, especially the one that I am currently writing, Not the Same as Them. Please read and review, enjoy!
> 
> Eggs and Bacon,
> 
> CrimsonNi

_No response was given expect the little smile of anticipation._

Excitement thrummed under his skin which was a first in a long, _long_ time. Tsunade went to go get the man responsible for the village's troubles, including his brother, and Itachi wasn't sure how to feel in all honesty. Watching as his brother slowly descended into madness was not a pretty process, especially since said little brother was well known for isolating himself as opposed to seeking help. So of course, Itachi couldn't do much for his brother but make his presence as obvious as possible, still, just an hour ago, he learned that Sasuke was to divorce before he could even tie the knot and now and that doesn't even top the new information that entered his hearing—his wife. Albeit, it started out as an arranged marriage, set up by his parents and the elders of the Hyuuga clan, but after marrying her, it was inevitable that it'd develop into more than just an arrangement. Hinata was a woman unlike any he'd ever met or later came to meet; she was ethereal. It started with her kindness, something that reminded him greatly of his mother. At first, Itachi's politeness made him simply admire that kind of trait but he didn't think much of it throughout his day.

That was until one random day, he came him to find Hinata, in a yellow sundress, making lunch with Sasuke—the scene was odd, an alternate domestic moment that he couldn't completely process. When he confronted her about it, she smiled, revealing that it was Itachi who mentioned—as a random slip-up he made during casual conversation—that he missed Sasuke. _And the dress?_ Again she smiled before answering, _'Your favorite color is yellow, no?'_ Itachi wasn't aware of it at the time, but thinking back on it now, he was sure his heart fluttered—for no one knew he favored the color yellow.

It wasn't much later until Itachi learned of another side of Hinata; after just completing a rather tedious mission, he only wanted to go home, bathe, and spend some time with his wife but instead, while walking past the one of the training grounds, he witnessed Hinata sparring with another Hyuuga and he just so happened to see her getting kicked into the water. Rage surged quicker than anything he ever experienced and before he blinked, he powered forward with tremendous speed. The Hyuuga, in one second, went from watching Hinata-sama fall into the water, to suddenly flying into the stream himself, only to be held down with a force akin to the devil .He flailed and kicked, believing an intruder of sorts was trying to kill him! However, just as he felt water entering his mouth, he was lifted up and laid on the grass until water was coughed right up. It took several seconds until he could hear an angry female voice shouting.

_"I can defend myself!"_

_"He could have hurt you. You're a lady, the heir to the Hyuuga clan."_

_"I am also a ninja and sparring is as much in my routine as political duties"_

_"No—"_

_"Itachi, you do not control or own me and if you need me to demonstrate how ninja I can be, then I shall."_

The Hyuuga heard Itachi-sama say something but when he opened his eyes, all he could remember seeing was Hinata-sama hovering over a pained Itachi. The man's eyes widened in disbelief—no one had ever taken down such a powerful Uchiha like that before, especially a Hyuuga! _"L-Lady Hinata!"_

She turned to him, an apologetic look across her features. _"Sorry about that. You may head on home if you're alright."_

_"What about you, Hinata-sama?"_

_"I'll be having a word with my husband."_ She sounded cross and the poor man could only feel sympathy for the Uchiha…despite him trying to drown him just a few moments ago. Still, he hurried off, leaving the married couple to their troubles. _"Please explain to me why you just tried to kill one of my clansmen?"_

Composing himself, still feeling shocked from the strike he received to his gut, Itachi eyed his wife and warily considered his next words. _"As I said—"_

_"Yes, I am a lady and heir but it was no secret that I am also a ninja. And I'm sure you have seen me spare before."_

_"Situations have changed now. We are married and there are traditions and expectations to follow."_ Itachi hesitated when he saw Hinata's eyes narrowing. Still, he risked the chance and continued. _"All I am saying is that if you still wish to train and spare, perhaps it is a more viable option to do so with me."_

Hinata looked frozen but it was typically hard to tell what she was thinking since her eyes were naturally blank. However, it wasn't long before a smile cracked through her stoic features. _"Is that what the issue is? My, my, how lucky I should be."_ Then she giggled, looking smug for a reason Itachi could not identify.

_"Am I missing something?"_

_"On the contrary, I'm surprised you haven't lost it. Granted, I've heard rumors of an Uchiha's territorial tendencies but I'd never imagined it to present itself like this."_

_"Hinata, I'm afraid I don't understand."_

_"You wish to minimize my encounters with other males, particularly in the fighting and sparring aspect. As amusing as I currently find it, I can't say for certain that I'll always find it so endearing."_

_"That is untrue,"_ he tried denying.

 _"You cannot lie to a Hyuuga, Itachi."_ They shared a staring face-off for a minute before Itachi gave in a looked away first. It was Hinata's intensity and sureness that he could not overcome because…she was right and he hadn't even realized it. Jealousy was not common for him—on his end—since he was used to hearing people being jealous of _him_. Now, after being married for just a few months, here he was feeling dense rage internally scratch at him to decapitate the clansman sparring with his wife because of male superiority. He never wanted to be that kind of man, in fact, he's always judged those that displayed that kind of attitude.

Looking towards his wife once again, he said, _"I am sorry, Hinata, I never meant to…come across that way."_

 _"Of course not,"_ she whispered softly before leaning forward to capture Itachi's hair with her fingers. Despite the sternness felt in her fingers, she still tried to gently guide him towards her to capture his lips. Itachi was not one to decline and happily supplied her his lips. Considering they were two of the more classier individuals of their generation, their kiss was surprisingly more vulgar than anticipated. When Hinata harshly pulled back, Itachi was ready to apologize for his behemoth behavior but instead, he felt Hinata's sultry lips on his ear, whispering filth that was typically—if EVER—never said by a lady. _"Take me home."_

For his wife, anything. It was the first time they officially consummated their marriage. However, he truly fell in love with his wife—not just liked or lusted—when the first time they succeeded in conception. The signs were there and she even confirmed it with a matter of tests. Itachi hadn't even known he wanted a child (it was more of a duty to him than a desire) but hearing the words from her mouth made him ache. The future was before him, a little him or a little Hinata with their blend of features running around, calling him father. Demonic butterflies formed in his stomach but he welcomed it with joy because such nerves only told him of happiness…Yet, in less than three months, the child was lost. It was never understood what exactly happened or why but Itachi understood that no little one would come into fruition. He was at a loss, unsure how to feel and proceed with life; even worse, he had no understanding of how to console his wife. Hinata wasn't like other women—she didn't shout or weep or throw things—she just remained quiet. His mother warned him that she could be like a bomb, waiting to go off at the wrong moment, and that only worried him further. Still, he wanted to try, so he took the initiative to find her and help her anyway he could.

She was home in their bedroom sitting in front of their wide, open windows in that yellow dress he loved and her standard stoic face. She didn't move or acknowledge him in any way but he was sure she knew he was there. He said nothing as he watched her, letting the silence speak before him but still, she did not turn.

Finally, _"Would you like to see them?"_

Hinata did not turn but from the reflection on the window, he saw her eyes shift in what he hoped was curiosity. Thankfully, after several painful minutes, she replied.

 _"Who are 'they'?"_ She asked softly.

 _"Our children."_ He noticed her flinch upon saying the dreadful word.

 _"Children? Was it more than one that I lost?"_ Her voice cracked in the end but it was more due to fury than sadness. He then realized his mistake and what his choice of wording implied.

_"No, I only meant…there is a chance we may have more than one. Your father was a twin after all and there are a couple twins in my family tree."_

The rage did not subside. _"Yes, and I killed them! Is your suggestion to see them a means to kill me too?!"_

" _You didn't kill them, I know this. A woman I may not be, I have an understanding of Mother Nature's sense of cruelty. As for my suggestion, we have an advantage as shinobis and can use genjutsu."_

She scoffed. _"You want me to delude myself?"_

_"Maybe this isn't the best idea but I know you're not the type to want sweet words and reassurances either. You have taught me countless times that you're more than the lady of the house but an abled, intelligent force to be reckoned with. That said, if you do want those words or if you want anything else, I'll be in the kitchen and I won't leave the house unless necessary."_

Watching Itachi as he made to leave, Hinata panicked and parted away from the window to latch onto him. Itachi could feel her trembling but he said nothing as he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. She didn't need to speak in order for him to understand that she didn't wish him to leave.

 _"You're beautiful,"_ he whispered into her hair. _"And powerful. You're much stronger than me and so much braver. I love you."_

Hinata pulled back instantly, looking at him with wide, wet eyes. _"That's…the first time you've said it."_

And indeed it was. Her pointing it out made him realize that he never actually confessed to her, despite bedding her on multiple occasions! It was a failure as a husband and a man! So he repeated himself over and over and over again until Hinata was but a puddle in his arms. She wept and wailed but still he said it, saying the words with a force only an Uchiha could muster and he meant every second of it. He truly loved her. Whether they could ever have kids or have 3 sets of them, he loved her all the same and more. He would make sure she understood that.

**

The Hokage's door swinging open brought Itachi back to the present. In walked Tsunade with a shorter blonde following closely behind her. It was immediately apparent that he was in restraints if the thick shackles around his wrists and ankles were any indication. There was also a blindfold tied over his eyes so Itachi could not see what shape they were or their color—yet. He noted as many features of the boy as he could and was amazed that this had been the person causing all sorts of trouble for his brother. The blonde's build was toned, not bulky or too lanky, but it was also covered in a blue kimono that left little to the imagination. Tsunade led the blonde until he was standing right in front of him.

"Alright brat, I'm going to take the blindfold off. Remember what I said, right?" Her voice had a touch of a threat in it.

"Yeah, yeah, I remember. I'll behave," the blonde replied. For some reason, Itachi had been expecting an annoying voice of sorts, something with a whistle-like tune or too loud, but what he heard instead was a husky sound that vibrated around the room. It wasn't too deep or baritone but it was alluring in its own fashion; the voice of a predator before capturing the prey.

"Itachi, whenever you're ready."

He couldn't really speak, which he discovered to his surprise, so he stuck to nodding. Tsunade accepted it regardless and lightly pulled at the ends of the blindfold, making it come loose. The blonde rapidly blinked as the light of the room touched him but within seconds, he had two blue orbs open wide, directly staring right at him. Itachi had to admit, they were a pair of eyes so vibrant and unfamiliar in the village that it took him aback. The blonde looked nowhere else but at him. Neither said anything, even with all of the current eyes being trained on them. If possible, Itachi felt as if he were in Tsukiyomi because of slow he felt time move. He didn't know if it were only seconds of several minutes but the blonde went from staring at him in a standing position to staring at him as he kneeled on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Tsunade demanded although she looked more embarrassed than angry.

"Paying my respects. And here I thought Mr. Beautiful was the easiest on the eyes."

"Who would Mr. Beautiful be?"

The blonde smirked, still keeping his blues trained on him. "Based on how nearly identical you look, I'd say your brother. He's quite gorgeous but by the gods, you may exceed him."

Itachi heard Sasuke growl like an animal behind him which prompted Tsunade to step forward. "That reminds me, I'm sure you remember…uh, Mr. Beautiful here. Before we proceed forward, he has to apologize for his earlier behavior."

Instead, the blonde frowned. "What? Why?"

Tsunade mimicked the blonde's expression. "For what happened in the—"

The blonde huffed, rolling his eyes and refocusing them behind Itachi where Sasuke stood. "No apology."

"But—"

"He didn't do anything wrong, stupid, but not wrong. Plus, look at how proud he is, what the hell is an apology going to do?"

A red flush stained Tsunade's cheeks as she tried to formulate a counter. "Still—"

The blonde winked at Sasuke despite the clear disdain Sasuke held towards him. "Don't worry, no harm done. Now on to you, Mr. God. How can a humble servant such as I service you?"

The outrageous title made Itachi chuckle, something he never thought probable considering the circumstances. "Mr. God? I'm flattered. I'm unsure how much Hokage-sama has told you prior you coming down here."

The blonde shrugged. "Just that I had to behave and that I would be asked some questions about everything I spoke about earlier."

"Yes, I'm here about that, well, specifically about the woman you encountered."

"Ah, the weird eyes girl."

"My wife actually, but yes, her."

"Ugh, really? Your wife? Well Mr. God, I'm now disappointed. Consider my faith in you gone."

Although strained, Itachi chuckled again, only wanting to get straight into it already. "Yes, well, I was wanted to ask about her if you—"

"No," he stated simply, no longer smiling.

"N-No? Wait, why not? I thought you were going to be cooperative?"

Even Tsunade looked unsure of what was going on. "Oi brat, this isn't part of the deal."

"No," he repeated again.

Itachi—and Sauske—felt a surge of anger. The blonde remained kneeled but now he was looking away with a frown etched deep onto his face. Itachi felt damned that he couldn't move his lower half to lean forward and force the boy to look at him. Instead, he opted for a low threatening voice that he hoped would convey his desperation. "I don't have time for these games," he said.

Finally, the blonde turned back. "And I ain't playing any, but we got a problem here."

"Which is?"

"You said she's your _wife_!"

"And?!" Itachi's voice was beginning to gain volume.

The blonde snarled, his blues turning a vicious color, a stormy blue that promised violence. "No offense to the granny but she shouldn't have brought me here. I can't answer the questions you want."

"Why n—"

"Because I don't know the whole story, dammit! I don't know her motives, why she did what she did, or any of that shit. What I _do_ know aren't things you should be knowing. They'd ruin you're your perception and ideas about her and that ain't fair to you. You look like a nice guy after all."

"Hokage-sama mentioned how she might be involve in the Akatsuki—is that true?"

"She had the uniform so I'd say so."

"What was she doing when you saw her?"

"I can't answer that," he declared again.

"Please," Itachi pleaded as maturely as he could manage.

"Listen, if I thought it was harmless shit to mention, I'd tell you, honest to God I would, but I don't want to. Some of the things that happened were fucked up and I don't think you should have that in your head when you think about her."

"Is…Is there anything you can tell me?"

The blonde pursed his lips, thinking over his every encounter with Hinata. "I don't know why, but she did try to warn me to leave. Indirectly, she saved my life."

"I see…thank you," Itachi muttered in defeat. He looked hollow, as if the life had been zapped right out from him.

"No, don't make that face, Mr. God, it pains me! Look, she wasn't…evil or anything, she was just strange you know. The things she did made me question what the hell her deal was but unlike the other shitheads I had to deal with, she was the nicest."

"Did she look forced or unwilling in anyway?"

"She never looked happy but I only saw her a few times, I'm sorry. I really am."

Feeling disappointed, Itachi nodded. "It's quite alright, you told me enough to go on, thank you. Sasuke, I'd like to go home now."

Seeing the dejection and pure desolation on the man's face, the blonde's resolve evaporated and he revealed that fact with a loud whimper. "Senbei!" he cried.

"Excuse me?" Itachi questioned, looking at the blonde for better clarification.

"The…last night I saw her, she told me to leave. Urged me really. I didn't believe her and told her to uh, well, let's just say I wasn't too much of a gentleman when I told her off. She kept telling me to leave and then she gave me senbei."

Itachi's heart stuttered. Senbei was an Uchiha classic and it meant a lot in terms of family tradition but he wasn't sure how the blonde could have known that. "Did she say anything when she gave them to you?"

"No, she didn't have to and that's cause she decorated the damn rice cakes with your crest."

"You knew what it meant? She directed you to us, why didn't you follow?"

"I told you, I didn't believe her at the time and even if I did, I still wouldn't have listened; Akatsuki is after me, her partner is after me, there was no way I was leaving my life in the hands of strangers I know shit about."

Itachi agreed it was a fair assessment but that still didn't explain Hinata's action. She left to join an assassination group, found the missing jinchuuriki everyone had been looking for years, helped him escape through unconventional means, but remained and is still following the group? Something was either missing or it just wasn't adding up because of how oxymoronic her behavior was.

"And now?"

"Well, had she informed me how attractive her husband was, perhaps I would have listened better."

Feeling a whole lot better, Itachi chuckled, nodding along to the blonde's flowery language as if he believed he was that beautiful. "Yes, well thank you…?"

"Tetsu."

"Tetsu, yes, thank you for all you have told me. It means a lot." His sincerity was apparent on his face too. Unlike the sadness just moments ago, Itachi looked happier and livelier, full of an unspoken hope that Sasuke would admit he'd missed. Again, Itachi motioned to his younger brother that it was time to leave—the excitement of the whole ordeal was beginning to take a toll on his energy. However, once again, Tetsu stopped them.

"Not meaning to completely jump ships here but why can't you walk?"

With no one expecting the question, it took several seconds for anyone to gather their wits and even think of replying. Sasuke being the first. "If it was any of your business, maybe we'd share. Screw off," he growled, activating his Sharigan in the process.

"Sasuke!" Tsunade shouted.

Except Tetsu was unconcerned, waving the threat off as if it were a child who said it. "I said it's fine. I like my men feisty." Tetsu winked at Sasuke again before focusing back on Itachi.

"I'm afraid it's a bit of a long story and one of a personal nature."

"I understand, but what I mean is if this is due to a natural cause or an accident?"

Curious, Itachi quirked an eyebrow and looked at the blonde with consideration. "An accident. What is this about?"

Tetsu grinned, a sneaky grin that reeked of pride and smugness. "Well Mr. God, since this servant failed to satisfy you, what if I could guarantee you the chance to walk again?"


End file.
